Lost and found
by close enough story
Summary: "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should" The salarians never knew when to stop in the name of science. Not even at creating life, extinct long ago. When a test subject escapes to the city of Omega to find her way, she makes an unusual alliance with the vigilante Archangel.
1. Prolouge

Planet Therai  
Salarian union  
Year: 2181

She was beautiful. Not many aliens could say that about a different species, it just wasn't natural. The turians weren't very attracted to krogan usually due to their giant waists or large heads, the humans weren't attracted to them due to their scales or horns. It was against their nature, but even so, that's the best word that Cadel Tuzz could describe the being that rested in the tank.  
Her eyes were softly closed in a easy slumber, still as a mountain for years. Like a book that's pages have been sealed for life times, the very idea of turning them caused her to be the most magnificent sight he's seen in a long, long time.

Two years, sixty-five days, four hours, and nine minutes she's been sleeping. He felt like a human father waiting for the birth of his first child. He was anxious, tapping at his data pad as he chosen to lean against the polished walls of steel, her tank right in front of him, his reflection of tired eyes and dark red skin just at the surface, looked back at him. The screens and machines working around the clock to tell him that his charge was still comfortable. They were the few things he knew about her, he knew her weight, her heart rate, an idea of her age, but nothing that he really needed for his project.  
Again like a father, he couldn't help but wonder what she was going to be like. Was she a farmer? A noble woman? A scholar? What about a beggar or a drunk, a mad beast or a soldier? With so little tissues able to have been found on Presrop, they could only learn so much. A moon that once held vast amounts of life, incredibly, powerful life forms, that he had to learn the secrets of. Secrets that were sealed away in the dead rock of space, and the woman that slept beside him, she had to have them, she had to,

He studied her face, fine features, her jaw was sharp, cheek bones high with soft lips and long lashes. The perfect portrait for an artist, with a scar that ran right over her left eyelid that seemed to only add to her character. Her hair, was very human like, a mane of charcoal strands that danced around her body like a cloud. The slow movements were oddly comforting to some of the team and himself, something they could get lost in for a few micro seconds as they passed by before they would get back to work.  
Despite her very human like appearance, she had to be grown in a larger tank made for a turian. She was going to stand a little taller than six feet. Towering over most, especially here. He didn't care though, only gave him more to study. Her silver skin glistened in the lab's light that danced over her body as his eyes trailed starting from her toes, studying every scar, every bump or dot or hair until his gaze rested on the proud head piece that grew from her very skull. Long elegant horns, the color of the midnight sky curved like a styled blade, back and up in waves. He could see the details in them, vein like marks that pulsed through the appendages, yet when he tested to see if there were nerves in there, he found none. He'd have to try again when they could finally meet.  
"And we'll meet soon."

The salarian gave a smile, black eyes blinking at his prize. Her arms crossed over her chest like a resting empress, she gave no indication of hearing him, and he was going to keep it that way. He entertained the idea of feeding her information about himself, so that she could establish a bond with him before she even leaves the tank. But against the other's judgement Cadel decided not to, he wanted her to be in her purest mind set, untouched, or muddied by their hands. She was here so they could learn about Presorp and the culture that was destroyed. He'll take his chances, and develop what little of a bond he could the old fashion way, with trial and error in a controlled environment.

Punching in the last of the information he gained from her today in the main terminal. Cadel logged out. He could have had hired an intern to do this for him so he could analyse their findings later, but he had an issue with not being the one to see everything himself with his own eyes. This was the biggest project he had ever gotten the funding for from the main houses. His matriarch even giving him, her blessing which made the salarian even more determined to get everything right.  
He's often heard that it was a fools project. Bringing back a species to raise and learn from it? Sounds suspiciously like the krogan, upraising a species that should not know of this galaxy yet. No, he would make sure she did not end up like the krogan, she was his charge and he would make sure that this project would go off with perfect results. No room for error, no room for rest. And so, he decided to go through another round of testing late into the night.

"How is she doing?" Cadel just watched as a old salarian stepped into his lab unannounced, Merson Gax, an elder scientist that Cadel had looked up to over the years. With a pale yellow body covered in scars, and an air of authority he wasn't someone that could be told no very often. A older biologist that could have rivalled Mordin if he tried. With crinkled scaring around his eyes, color fading and his horns a fragile twisted mess, Cadel couldn't help but notice just how far along the older salarian was in his years. Was he thirty? If so, he was surprised to realize that the old beast could still move around with such an air of trained power.  
His hands behind his back, he stalked to his charge with the grace that screamed of his time in the salarian task force. His gaze was steady, harsh as he took in every detail like a scope on it's target. "How long will she be in this stage?" He asked with mild curiosity. "Not long now, few months, slowly getting her accustomed to less pressure." He was tired, it was often that Cadel would work through the night, but as he typed at his terminal, he found that he was slow to recognize that the biologist had raised his hand and rested it on the tank. The warmth from his body seemed to stir the woman inside, her heart rate increasing a few beats as her brain activity tried to flare up. He watched in amusement as Merson backed away from her, confusion on his features as he looked at her signals that burst to life at such a small change.

"Like I said, almost ready, have a feeling she's predatory, like a turian. Can sense when the tank is touched and is sent into frenzy, though not enough to actually wake, probably just trying to defend." He couldn't wait for the final stage. He's taken to sleeping in the room now, shifting her holding lab into his office/bedroom where Cadel slept, worked and even ate his meals. Socializing was only done when someone came to him, and he only left to relive himself, permitting the luxury to only last one minute and thirty seconds. He was so engrossed in his work that he actually reprimanded himself when he took one minute and thirty two seconds yesterday.  
"I want to be here when you let her out. See her first reaction." Merson kept watching her, placing his hands behind his back while he spoke, craning his head up to look at her face. "You'll have to be behind the security wall. Can't have any risk to her, could be carrying disease that her species hadn't built an immunity to." He was actually working on that right now, slowly admitting his charge a few different vaccinations while she still sat in the tank to give her the best chance he could. It was round the clock care, four sets of coffee cups sat on the counter behind him, he was tempted to ask for some more from downstairs in an hour.  
Merson didn't seem to mind, it was normal for one of them to be this dedicated to work, they had short lives, and enough ideas to last a assari's life time. He refused to let them get scattered to the winds when his ashes are thrown, so sleep had quickly became a unwanted rival rather then a welcoming friend.

Merson decided to stay for another hour, a strange change in habit. But that could have just been because he had taken an interest in his charge. He didn't want to give her a name yet, she could give herself one. The two scientists decided to just sit back and talk about nothing and everything. Ways to get her to learn their language, getting living arrangements set up, only to switch to the topic of nothing. Like how they had to go and get a drink sometime or complaining that Mordin, despite having left this lab years ago, could still be heard through some of the coms as he sang his songs from wherever his is. Someone had to be a fan of the guy to actually want to tune into that annoying hum that tauntingly danced through the halls once a month.  
He missed this, the strange distraction, it was a love hate relationship. In the back of his mind he thought about how he was wasting time, how he needed to work on his charge to make sure everything was ready so he could safely release her. But the more Merson spoke, and how they shared stories and ideas made him ease into the plastic chair a little more. A smile on his features while the same expression crinkled into his friend's eyes. That's right, he could call the old salarian a friend. They been in this lab together for years, and Merson had a soft spot for the younger scientists. New minds, new ideas he would say. And Cadel was one that invited the older male in his lab and not be intimidated by him, it gained him respect and they been working together on and off sense.  
Even then, it didn't matter how much he respected the man. He was not going to share this project, he grew protective over his charge these last few years. He can see the nature becoming so much worse, when he can actually speak to her, watch her and study her as she interacted with her new world. Salarians didn't make families really, even less so when they choose this life, but whenever he looked at the woman who rested in the tank he couldn't help but feel a need, a duty to guard her and give her the best life possible. And with the way he spoke about her, he was sure Merson noticed. Yet the older man didn't object to his attachment to his test subject, only giving his shoulder a squeeze on his way out of the lab. "Be careful Cadel, would hate for you to get hurt in this." He would say as he left.

* * *

It was early in the morning, most of the lab had been clocked out and back home so they could rest for another day. The halls were strangely empty, only the low hum of the industrial lights sang, the beeps of machines feint through the heavy security doors, while only a handful were unlocked due to someone working late into the hours to get their jobs done. Paperwork, data, conferences, they all had their reasons, reasons that Cadel really could care less of right now.  
It's been almost three months since Merson visited. His charge was fully developed, her room had been crafted, and he had finally sent his request to the head of the lab, she was ready. She was finally ready to leave her tank. He was pacing, waiting for a conformation from the lab's head that he was allowed to finally release his charge. A few of the medical staff offered to stay in case she managed to get sick, despite the entire room she was in having been sterilized. The air smelled of a thick chemical and the smallest hint of lemon that stung his nose in familiarity. He looked over his shoulder, Merson kept to his word, staying in the observation room to keep himself from harming what could be the most curricle part of this entire experiment.  
He turned on his omni tool, tapping away at the commands before scanning his charge to see that she was still fine. All her vitals were normal. Her brain showing strong signs of activity that only made him more impatient to get her out. If she waited too long, he had a feeling she would wake herself up unless heavily sedated and that was the last thing he wanted to do to her.

Just as he was about to send another request though, he heard his terminal flare to life. Almost bounding through the lab, Merson forgotten, Cadel turned on the orange screen to find that his request had been approved, relief and excitement filled his very being as he looked over the orders to see that all was well. That due to the fact that most of the lab was empty aside from security, that this was the best time to allow a new life form to take her first breath in a long, long time. The ones that were here however were pooling into the observation room, expecting eyes, their own data pads or omni tools in hand as they watched in silent respect. It was no secret what he dedicated these last two years for, and it wasn't unusual for others to watch key parts of an experiment to make notes of their own later for future work. Still, he didn't give them much mind, not even Merson as he walked back to the tank. Looking at her peaceful expression one more time as he rested his hand on the tank to see that familiar snap in her senses.  
"I'm here" a soft chance at comforting that he hoped would get the idea across that he was not a threat.

"Initiating release, taking down sedation and memory support." He was working alone, skilled hands going through the machines as the room flared with life. Screens asking for activation codes as he took down her security, sealing the entire room in the process, doors sliding shut in a quiet click, the green light turning to red, as he began to drain the tank. The liquid was slowly lowering, each second ticking by as it passed her horns, her crown, her brow. He watched with baited breath, ready to spring into action at the slightest sign of something wrong. Her eyes began to open, he never knew what color they were before. A vibrant hue of violet. So striking that he was sure it could cut through a dark room, or seen from across the ship, soon she was coughing, trying to get a gasp of air, real air as her lungs expanded and took it in with greed. She was tossing her head, her arms uncrossing despite the cords at her wrists of IVs. The sound of her horns banging against the glass was a dull thud that snapped his attention to them for only a moment.

Two moments, and she was looking at him, the tank hadn't even finished draining when she was able to take in her surroundings. Though her gaze for him made him step back, it was sharp, cold and seething with anger as she locked it on him. She was no beggar, or scholar, she was no noble or farmer. No, he didn't entertain the idea much due to how little scars she had, but all doubts were deleted now. There was no room for argument with the way she pulled her lips back in what he saw as a warrior.  
She slammed her hand on the glass, a motion he wasn't expecting to have any effect. Yet his attention was jerked away as the machines began to scream in help, malfunctions from short circuiting as she slammed her hand again, the tank groaning under the strain while a loud pop echoed through his ears, the glass, almost three inches thick shattering in large shards that clattered to the ground, the thick green liquid pooling on the floor, slick under his feet.  
Her IV's ripping from her arms, snapping like twin, while he watched a silver hand grab the edges of the glass, ignoring the crimson that leaked from her fingers when she pulled herself onto the ground with a raspy scream of desert sand. He had to act fast, she was unlike any of his previous projects where the subject would be exhausted after leaving the tank for the first time. No, here, she was a like a shot gun, a burst of power, angry and confused as she swung her head at everything like a enraged animal. Her words were eloquent, stringing in strange curves and hums that went up and down as she asked a question he had no hope of answering. All he could do was hold up his hands when she lunged herself to him.  
Grabbing those hands and twisting him around with such force that he yelled out in pain. He wasn't a fighter, he knew how to use a gun but he was no fighter. She however knew what she was doing, his back was to her, he could feel her heart beat, notice how she wasn't breathing hard, forcing it through her noes and calming herself down despite the chaos that she created. The tip of his horns reached just under her chin, muscles rippling with every move as she screamed out _"tar bas, fenzah thrain!"_ In such a battle hungry cry that Cadel had to think she died in battle. She was still fighting in her mind, but instead of a war zone, she was in a contamination room, one that only angered her even more as she held his arms with enough force that he was sure she was going to bruise him. At least she didn't out right kill him, there was hope for that.

"I'm not a threat, I'm a friend, I'm a friend." He tried to keep his voice calm, but with the way he listened to her breathing forcing out of her nose like a ragged beast was causing his thoughts to go light years a second. His words caused her to flicked her gaze down at him for a moment, a gaze trying to figure him out in any way she could. A unmasked curiosity flashed for a second before it went back to that cold stare that tried to bore into him. It gave the guards enough time to open the doors, her head shooting up as she pulled back her lips in that same snarl before they shot her with a tranquillizer. The needle stuck right into her side as she hissed at the shock. Her grip immediately loosened, yet she still held him, a growl escaping her as she let out a string of what he could only assume were insults when she brought him to face the pair, using his body as a shield as she backed up. He could feel her steps becoming shaky, weak, another step and she was on the ground, taking him with her, a few more seconds as she was out cold.

He was panting, bewildered, his palms sweaty as he untangled himself from her limbs. The guards, two members of the task force ran to him, helping him stand as the other reached to check her pulse. Yet Cadel shook the officer off, going back to his charge to make sure that she was okay himself. His fingers reaching under her jaw as relief washed over him, she was okay, she was calming down. "Subject was in fight or flight the moment of her death, possibility that she was killed, murdered even? Must make sure to break her from that when she wakes again."  
He sat back down on the floor, adrenaline was pumping in his veins as he let out a smile. Merson finally coming inside, yet he did not approach. "Are you well?" The worry was in his voice despite the mild disinterest in his stance, Cadel just nodded, ordering for a stretcher to be pulled in so he could have her moved to a more comfortable place, even asking for the halls to be decontaminated before she leave the room just in case. "That was...Amazing, such movement, extreme training. Tried to regulate her own breathing and responds to us with curiosity despite believing she was in danger." He looked to the tank once more as he waited for the halls to be decontaminated. The shattered glass still laid on the floor, the liquid pooling around the space, the terminals all destroyed, static popping and spazzing from the shorting as blackened desks fringed below them. He had no idea what happened, but he wanted samples of everything. It wasn't clean, but it was better then he could have ever hoped to imagine.

He made sure to be there when she woke up, he used everything he had to make sure that she was okay. The bed she was in was plush, soft blankets and the lights were not as bright as the rest of the lab, splurging on paintings to hang on the walls, and even a rug so she would have some texture to keep her senses in check. The salarian found himself checking and rechecking everything as she slept, before finally settling on a office chair at her desk. He flipped on the terminal in her room, it was just basic functions so she could call someone if she needed to once he let her figure out the tech, but that was a ways off. Instead, he used it to re-watch the vid of her waking up, it was only an hour ago but he couldn't stop thinking about it. The way she moved, it was so fast, the words she said, _"tar bas, fenzah thrain!"_ He wanted to know what that meant, so badly, he could taste it. He wanted to learn everything. Quickly he saved the phrase to use for later, maybe one day he could build a translator for her.

He watched her stir, violet eyes snapping open in a frenzy, and already she was up and on the other side of the room. Her shoulders back, jaw set as she watched him like a predator. No, she was a predator, he had to remember that, her eyes went to the door, then the terminal and finally him, searching his person as she tried to figure a way out. He just held out his hands, offering a smile, yet when he opened his mouth she took a step back, quickly making him close it. So, that gesture was a negative one, yet when he splayed his fingers, he watched her relax a little, the universal gesture for showing no harm. Still, she was in that fight or flight response, breathing through her nose, one leg slightly bent so she could lunge or dodge at a moment's notice. Slowly, the salarian sat back down, hoping that would help her, relief washing over him when he finally saw her stance ease up, but her shoulders and jaw remained tense, eyes daring him to move.  
He couldn't take his own eyes off her, every curve, every scar, the way she was breathing as her chest moved so little, one would expect she didn't need oxygen at all. He quickly realized that she was like a human and held modesty, her arms trying to cover her chest as her eyes narrowed at him, even then she wouldn't turn away, he was going to stay in her sights whether he liked it or not. "Right, I'll get you clothes." The words were only meant with confusion, the salarian quickly grabbing his own lab coat to repeat the word "clothes" before mentioning to her. That seemed to win him a few points as she nodded her head. Quickly he reached into the closet he had for her, basing the garments on a larger version of an assari since she reminded him of them so much.

She was quick to learn however, in a bound she was beside him, her hand pushing him away, not nearly as harshly as she was before so she could look inside herself. He noticed that she still didn't turn her back on him, only looking at things with one side while she kept a violet eye poised on him at all times. Like a thief, she grabbed a robe of black fabric, wrapping it around her body and tying it tight. It was obvious she was used to something else as she grabbed at it, only to settle for the garment for now.  
Covered up, he noticed that he managed to get her a step closer to being at least trusting enough to blink for the first time. He tried to think of her, of what she was going through. What was going on in that head? She was screaming when she woke the first time, skilled hands subduing him with ease, she was skilled, and she thought she was in a fight. Now she's here, in a new place, thousands of years past the destruction of her entire world. She would have no idea what he was, what anything was, it made him respect her so much more when he realized that instead of destroying everything, she was listening, searching, she was a soldier, but she held an air of curiosity that caused him to feel as though he had gotten the perfect subject. Slowly he pointed to himself, "Cadel" right, start with a name. Something simple as he gestured to her, seconds of silence ticked by, her brow raised in the same manor as a human or assari before she finally mirrored him. "Dulan."

Dulan, what a wonderful name, it made him beam as he quickly brought up his omni tool to categorize the information. Her name was Dulan. The glow of his omni tool however seemed to upset his guest, the moment the light snapped on she jumped back, crouching as she narrowed her eyes on the object, right, anything was a threat to her. He shook his head, showing her the device by craning his arm as best he could. She watched with a deadly intensity at the screen that appeared, scrolling through the information he had on her. He was expecting her to stay there, frozen in caution, yet nothing about her seemed to really fit as she slowly approached him with a grace that he couldn't match.  
A slender hand reaching out, she touched the screen, jumping again when it flared to life and turned to another page. He couldn't help but feel sheer excitement at the find, this was amazing!  
He let her scroll and play with it as much as she wanted to, minutes ticking by as she switched from screen to screen, pulling up a hologram of herself as she turned it this way and that, already getting the hang of it. He didn't need to ask her anything yet, he was content with just watching, watching how she studied everything that shown before her with as much determination as he seen any salarian faced with a puzzle. She knew nothing of the language that darted in front of her, yet her eyes scrolled through every word, no, she wasn't a soldier, she was a scholar.

The fallowing weeks with Dulan were some of the best had had. Every morning was something new, something dangerous. Every time he wandered into that room he wondered what else he was going to find out about her. She called her race, Tal Vashoth, she wanted to be a bard, not a soldier, and she was from a land called Thedas, a harsh place that made the need to defend oneself a must. She was quick to pick up his own language, her mind was extraordinary, it soaked up everything he gave her. Before long she was greeting him in his own language, and explaining how she wanted to see the lab in it. He couldn't tell her no, still she was under guard during her walks. Something she was not fond of, but she still took in everything with confusion and wonder. The gardens that held the open sky of white and steel walls, while screens played the news along the halls, the waiting rooms where different aliens would come and go trying to get deals or visitation, he couldn't help but laugh when he saw her reaction to a ship for the first time, screaming in her native tongue, when he asked what it meant, he saw her skin grow flushed like a humans would.  
The others were quickly drawn to her, even more so when they realized she was beginning to understand what they were saying and actually answering their questions. He began to bring things to her, books, pictures, vids. He was barred from bringing her any weapons due to the history of the krogan. But he would make due, he found that her planet was very similar to earth, many of the animals holding a resemblance and giving her a familiarity, only to find that there was a race that looked and sounded exactly the same as the humans in the alliance.

Today, was different though, today he was holding a lute and guitar. Old instruments from earth that he hoped she could recall. Knocking on the door, instead of pinning in a request for her to open since she wouldn't respond any other way, he was met with Dulan at her desk. Using the terminal as she tried to make sense of the images of planets, her face twisting into confusion as she furrowed her brow only to growl. "You can't read in our words yet." She turned to him, frustration in her gaze as she rested a arm on her knee and leaned forward. "I need to learn, to get home"

He smiled to himself, pride and sorrow in his chest when he sat the instruments down. She was determined, he'll give her that. Though her words still stung, she had no idea her world is gone, she has no idea she was dead for a few thousand years, and honestly, he had no idea how he was going to give her that information without causing a tremendous amount of strain on her mental health. The very idea caused him to feel as though he were at gun point, the safety of his charge was held hostage. She wanted to go home more than anything, she wanted to find a way to go back to her family, what person wouldn't? And the truth on his tongue always tasted like grains of sand and lodging in his throat.  
So, he lied, reaching over and turning off the screen, only to make her frown. "No worry, you'll find your home, I show you things?" He kept his words simple so she could remember them later, her gaze fallowing his own until they rested on the gifts he gotten her. Sleek wooden creations that sang of history. Strings threaded down their necks with simple yet elegant designs. He picked them out when she told him she wanted to be a bard, using his knowledge of the human equivalent, he thought it was the right step to their discoveries.  
Dulan wasted no time, she almost rushed to the prizes, grabbing the guitar first and running her hands over the creation before plucking the strings. She sat down, her eyes holding familiarity as she almost lovingly strummed a sound that moved through the room. "Songs...I made songs." He could tell she wasn't used to this kind of instrument, but something similar, within moments she was playing music, true music that seemed to warm his very soul. She paid him no mind, for a second he'd think that she forgotten him entirely as she played.

And that was when she started singing, singing in her own language. It was a sound that reminded him how beautiful the culture she came from must be, it was like a summer wind. The words engulfed him, entranced him as he recorded her, Cadel was not expecting such a response. Far better than anything he would have been expecting as he sat down, and just enjoyed the sound. When the song finally ended, he began to clap, the gesture making her give a mock bow when she set the instrument back down on her bed. "What was that about?" He already had his omni tool out, ready to have a full translation for her, this was a huge step, one that made him cut his time in making a translator for her by almost a quarter. Yet as he watched her eyes go wide, he began to realize something was wrong when the look of utter horror crossed her features.

"I don't know..."

 **Hello my friends! Just wanted to say, thank you so much for reading. I recently gotten into mass effect and the moment I realized that the back story for Garrus's team is not fully fleshed out, I knew I wanted to try to jump on it. I been playing around with the idea of a Qunari for a long time now, and really hope you guys enjoy the story too.**

 **i took a little bit of this from my animal bio studies. Sadly I work with animals more then people so it's a little hard to get the science of everything rolling, but I ran with the idea of Dulan waking up thinking she was fighting due to a really sad story in the horse world. Ruffian, a race horse broke her leg on the track and after surgery she woken up thinking she was still running due to the adrenaline keeping her brain in that state of mind despite her being under for almost a full day.**

 **If you say anything you'd like me to notice, please give me a review. I'll do my best to keep this up, but if people don't like it and won't tell me why then it would be pretty hard to continue you know. Anyway, hope to see you here again!**


	2. Vortash

**Chapter 1: Vortash**

Planet Therai

Salarian union under protection

Year: 2182

Cadel finally turned off the vid playing his first day with her. His first day realizing what an extraordinary creature she is. The screen going dark, leaving him alone in the empty room, machines turned off in a void of artists block. He no longer held a bright red to his hide, his eyes encased in wrinkles of stress, black orbs sunken in while his mouth was pulled in a permanent frown. His shoulders sunken from the weight of his journey these last few years, these last long and horrible years. The words of Merson playing in his mind becoming all the more true with each passing second. He was right, Cadel was indeed hurt in this project, hurt enough that he started to become a shadow of his former self, as the light for his future died with Dulan's memories.

He sighed, leaning his weight into his desk, the salarian reached for one of the many bottles that cluttered the surface, glass and metal clicking against each other in a solemn song. Fingers grasping the cool container, he stared off into screen that flickered before him, downing the liquid, that burned his throat like icy fire, taste long forgotten.  
He could hear the sirens still, the distant screeches that banged and snaked through the halls as the pounding boots of the task force clashed behind him, crackling and popping until it began to split his skull in two. His omni tool was flashing, calling him in a furious screech as it sat abandoned on the floor, the claps broken off, as bits of metal strewn across the surface in their mistreatment. He wasn't going to answer, not all the powers of the galaxy could get him to move from his seat as he took another drink.

Minutes passed by before he moved again. Like crackling stones, his joints began to protest as he reached for the terminal. Turning on the camera and waiting for the red light to begin flashing, the screen before him showing a beast he did not recognize. Some tired old soul that he almost felt sorry for, as he closed his eyes for a long moment, only to open and find he hadn't moved.

Parting his lips, the salarian began to speak. His voice was old, tired and cracked, despite the signs of the poor thing being considered fairly young. The words crawled out of his throat in a raspy song that wheezed through his nose with every sound.

"My name, is Cadel Tuzz, today marks, 417 days into the second phase of project Presporp." Another sigh, he didn't like doing this, Cadel was never a fan of recording himself, and it seemed this old creature in the screen was not ether. Still, as the sirens rang and the yelling continued to leave him undisturbed, he leaned back in his chair, setting the bottle down with a quiet click as he crossed his fingers like twisting weeds.

"832 days ago I started project Presporp, after obtaining samples of a mysterious life form that was found to have survived the extinction of the moon. I got to work and took it upon myself to recreate the life form that was obtained in order to gather as much information as I could about the environment that ended almost 15,000 years ago. The tissues came from someone known as Dulan, surname unknown. A species known as the Tal Vashoth, large horned creatures that closely resemble the asari."

"At first I was...Intrigued, fascinated at the idea of finding a new life form, not just finding it, but recreating it. Dulan had extremely strong senses during her hibernation as we worked on her. Any contact with her tank would cause a spike in her brain activity despite seeming to be peaceful. It was later found that she was killed in some form of combat that she had not disclosed. She was still connected to the life she had before she died, despite being a clone. A child of the original Dulan, it proved that there was something else with Persporp, something that I didn't find...I didn't have enough time too..."

A sigh escaped his lips, he felt his world shattering all over again as he held his face in his hand. Fingers shaking as he ignored the recording that continued onwards indiscriminately. He really didn't have enough time.

"Dulan had a very short memory after her release. While she shown signs of extreme intelligence, able to learn how to use an Omni Tool, a device that was never invented in her time, and even pick up the basics of our language in a few months. Dulan began to have trouble recalling memories of her old life, first forgetting songs that she would sing, then history, language meanings, now she could no longer recall who her parents were despite having a very determined nature of getting back home to see her father again. 363 days into her time outside the tank and she had forgotten everything about herself. Phrases and words would be spoken yet no relocation of what they meant. The original Dulan is gone, and I am regretful to say that...To say that it is a very strong possibility that she may never recall her memories in the future..."

That was when he took another drink, a long hard drink that left him shaking as he tried to hold the cracking pieces of his mind together. His resolve fell through those cracks like sand. "That's not why I'm recording this though. Two months ago, Delar Akso, head of psychology and the Research center of alien evolution. Had made the decision to transfer Dulan to the care of the bio experimental teams on the other side of our system, due to her change in nature. It was made obvious that she was to become a lab experiment to further the salarian knowledge on Tal Vashoth. This would have led to very invasive, and dangerous testing that would have shattered her as a sentient life form. This information did not leave the team that Delar had assembled, and every member was sworn to secrecy and yet somehow Dulan learned of their plans."

He was still shaking, it was only that morning. A few hours ago and everything seemed to have been turned up on it's head. A quiet and slow morning of iron walls and sterilized halls of lemon. His hands holding a tray of bland food that Delar had ordered he prescribe to her, as he went all the way to the back of E wing to meet her for the first and only time he was permitted to.  
He was expecting what he was greeted with for months now, a confused but saddened look as she tried to greet him in his language, only for him to ignore her. Cadel setting her food on her desk and leaving.

Ever since she started loosing her memories he was given less and less freedom until he was forced to be a stranger to Dulan all together. The only reason he was even on the team that was tasked with her care at all, was the fact that he was the only person she would positively respond to. His charge was taken right from under him, his prized project and who he wanted to call friend.

The curious gleam she had over the terminal, he gave her was his only joy and yet he had to hold her at arms length. He had to abandon her as she slowly lost more and more memories for the sake of not interfering with Delar's plans for the Tal Vashoth. The woman who was supposed to have no idea that she was going to be taken away.

The vids weren't even playing in the halls yet, it was so early. The art work and windows gave way to generic white walls with industrial lights that bounded off every surface, almost blinding the broken scientist as he brought an arm up to his face. Every door held the red light of a lock and a key pad, the numbers E278, E279, E280 were passing him by in neat letters above every door.

Finally reaching E288, the salarian found himself frozen to his spot. It was just a regular door that he's crossed through hundreds of times, so why was he so uneasy? At the far end of a hall, the red flashed before him in a lock, every surface around him immaculately cleaned, and pristine due to how little people came back here.

The air was popping, sizzling as an electric current danced over his skin, black eyes blinking once, twice, three times as he looked around. The tray spazzed in his hands, forcing him to drop it as it clattered to the floor in a deafening drum, food rolling across the mirror surface, staining the white with it's gunky texture. He could see the current from here, taste the iron, feel the electricity that tapped and slithered and snapped at his every move.

"Um...Dulan? Dulan, I have-Had food for you." His voice was meek, worry mixed with duty caused him to back between what he needed and wanted to do.

He knocked on the door, only to regret it as he got a sharp zap for his troubles, the shock running through his body for a second but it was enough to wake him. With baited breath, he was about to turn away only for the door to slowly open it's maw. He backed up, uneasiness crawling at his mind, what had happened to have caused such a surge in electricity? "Dulan? Come out, please."

Silence.

Seconds ticked by to minutes, as he was met with a planet shattering silence. He took in a deep breath, he needed to see her, see that she was okay. Already he threw the matriarch's orders out the window in favor of knowing that she was safe. He just needed to check on her, make sure she was unaffected, and then request a change in the systems to lower the electricity output.

The bed was made of wood, hand painted blankets and covered in animal pelts from creatures he's never seen in person. The lights were replaced with lanterns, the walls made to look like wood, while the strong smell of lavender wafted to his noes. It was the only thing he agreed with Delar on when it came to Dulan. They wanted to make her feel at home as much as they could in order for her to feel a sense of nostalgia, and keep her stress to a minimum. The only sign that this was still the lab was the terminal that spazzed on the desk, ready to shut down. Another step inside though and he realized just how wrong everything was in here.  
The room was empty, forgotten, all that was taken was the instrument he gave her when she first woke up.

"Dulan managed to learn how to hack into our systems undetected, how she done it is still under investigation. The entire facility was put under lock down in minutes, but she was long gone, already smuggled herself on a passing cargo ship before I could find her...I'm here to give a warning, the woman that left here today is not someone to be trusted, she's unstable, and manipulative. The most knowledge we thought she had on technology was how to use a terminal to call someone for help.  
"She hid the extent of her knowledge just to escape by hacking into our systems, overriding the security, sneaking almost half was across the lab into a cargo ship, all without being found out. We didn't notice it on the security cameras until a full day has passed, she's a danger to anyone around her and must be brought back for the safety of thousands."

Another drink and he turned the recording off. He was tired, oh so tired as he began to shake and spazz again as if he was still in that room. The words tasted like poison on his lips, he needed to send the vid across to the other teams but as the command flashed before him, the salarian found himself frozen. The image of her playing with his omni tool with nothing but pure curiosity flashed in his mind, how could someone like her ever be thought as a true threat?

No, Dulan should not be running around the galaxy, she didn't belong, she didn't fit. Nature wanted her extinction, he should have kept it that way. He should have said no, he should have done something simpler.  
He needed another drink to calm himself, to try and forget the extent of damage he found in that room. A reminder of just how wrong about her, he was, how they all were. Dulan was a dangerous creature that in the wrong hands, made the krogan seem tame.

And he let her get away.

* * *

"Move it!" Rough hands yanked at her bindings, shoving her through the corridor as her boots clicked against the iron floor, bags torn away and thrown unceremoniously to another batarian before her capture continued on. She said nothing, head slightly down as her eyes darted to every detail, trying her best to remember the path they were taking. He pushed her down the stairs and shoved her into a cargo tank before turning on a barrier, the blue light flickering her imprisonment as he stared at her with a smugness on his features.

A krogan, perfect. Dulan couldn't help but groan as she watched the figure lumber away. He was heavily armed, as was every one else she's seen on the ship. Only a few hours of freedom and already she was placed in an even smaller cage. Eyes narrowed, she sat down in the corner, back sliding against the wall as her horns cracked at the sides. Her throat was dry, it's been hours since she's had food or water, cramped in a shipping container until she was found by the smiling face of the very krogan that had thrown her in here to begin with.

She tapped a tune on her leg, tilting her head back as she tried to get a good look around her. The barrier was tall, reaching the ceiling that snaked around her in iron pipes, the room was no larger than a closet, steel walls that creaked and groaned whenever she moved. For a moment, she thought it was a blessing, she could hear the creaking of the ships captors upstairs due to the echo.

Then she heard the gun shots.

She had to get out of here. She picked a cargo ship for a reason, less security, less armed personal, but she never even thought about it being an easier target for a third party. She remembered some of their faces, a handful of salarians and humans, and even a turian that she remembered seeing from a distance. The image of them being lined up and shot down was playing in her mind, she's seen it on vids before, no hostages.

Then why was she here? It had to have been because of her appearance, she was an oddity, new, different. Maybe she was worth something. The thought of her being worth some credits sent shivers down her spine, forcing the woman to scramble to her feet as best she can with her arms behind her back, so she could get a better look of the area outside. It was just a hallway, an ill lit space of corridors with only the stair way she took being the exit it seemed. Quickly her gaze rested on a makeshift cell a little ways away from her though. A huddled mass of dark brown and grey skin that's sides rose and fall in sleep.

"Hey, hey, you in the cell!" She leaned closer, trying to get a better look at the mass that grunted in response. Moments passing by, the woman was met with the realization that he went back to sleep. She bit her lip, brow furrowing before she slammed her horns against the surface, the steel echoing and causing her to regret her choices, her skull ringing while dizziness took hold. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" Another grunt, "come on!" maybe if she yelled at it enough it would respond. "Are you really going to just sit here and wait for them to come back?"

"That's exactly what I'm going to do, so shut the fuck up, and let me sleep." His voice was gravely, so much different from what she was used to as she watched him shift again, trying to get as comfortable as he could on the floor before somehow falling back to sleep in the span of seconds.

It was her turn to growl, she was getting no help from that figure. "Fine, once I get out of here, I want no requests from you then." Her pride was hurt, as she shuffled to the other side of the cell, she didn't have enough time to deal with someone like him. She had to find a way out of here. She didn't hear a destination from the others. They could be taking her anywhere, the Citadel, Palvean , there was a krogan so what about Tuchanka?

She was not in the mood to be a tourist. Her fingers began to gripe at the bindings, pushing herself against the wall and craning her neck to get a better angle. She had enough motion to get her fingers to go under the clasp. Her shuffling and growling only causing her to get more frustrated as she couldn't find any way to unlock the damn thing.

"Come on, come on" the clicking of her nails against steel seemed to become deafening once the gun shots stopped. A chill washed over her body at the thought of what that meant, was there anyone left? Anyone at all besides her and the male in the other cell? She could feel her wrists get sweaty, her brow getting a bead to roll down her face as she only began to get more dehydrated.

* * *

Vortash didn't really care much, he knew where this ship was going and he was already planning on getting there anyway. Once they took him to being a bargaining chip for the Blue Suns, he'd hack into their systems, set them to explode and make his get away. An easy plan, simple and clean and has worked before. He was used to the steel floors, and being tied up, the binds were loose enough that the batarian simply laid down and decided to get some sleep.

Least he wanted to, but that damn freak kept scuffling. He turned his back to her, ignoring the growling and the soft curses as she slammed her binding into the wall. He's seen it before, ether cry and accept your fate, make a plan or be an idiot and try and force your way out. She was the latter it seemed, a newbie that never dealt with a merc band as she let out a strangled cry of pain when she hit herself too hard on one of the sharpened edges of the wall.

"Will you shut up? He shifted, narrowing all four of his eyes on her as she faced him. Her silver skin was flushed, black hair falling over her as she locked her gaze with his. He couldn't help but think she was, actually kind of disgusting, a freak he's never seen before, like putting bulky bull horns on an assari. "I haven't said anything, so why not get off your ass and help me."  
Well wasn't she just a little bundle of bravery? She still held up her head, pacing the room as she muttered to herself while shaking it back and forth, he could still see her trying to grab at the bindings, long fingers that were pretty dexterous compared to some he knew. The more he looked at her, the more he realized why she was down here, she may be ugly but she was a oddity, she was probable worth something to someone.

"You're not getting out, you know that right?" He watched her sit down, no longer replying to him as she stared at a wall. Hopefully finally taking his advice so he could get some shut eye. Yet as the seconds ticked by of her just breathing, he began to notice that her fingers were still itching, her eyes slipping closed as if concentrating as hard as a krogan's skull. Still, it didn't take him long to realize exactly what she was doing. The orange light of her omni tool began to flare to life, most of the features disabled due to the frequency the merc band had it switched to, it was little more than a translator, but it was better than listening to her literally throwing herself at a wall.

With the peace and quiet finally given to him, he closed his eyes once more. Laying down to enjoy the blissful sleep as he waited for his free pass to Omega to end.

"Yes!" The sound of something clattering to the ground caused his eyes to snap open. Immediately on guard as he sat up only to once again be at the mercy of the annoyance that was the alien in the other cell. A smile spreading across her features, somehow making her even more unsettling to look at when she turned to him, beaming at him. "What the fuck do you want?" She didn't say anything, she just held up her hands, free of bindings as she flexed her now bleeding fingers.

That got his attention, he quickly scrambled to his feet. Turning his gaze both directions to see if anyone was around to see her actually get out of the damn things. "What are you thinking? Don't let them see you like that." He was fine with waiting for a trade off to be his opening, but if she could provide one now, then he wouldn't mind using it.

He watched her flip on her omni tool, the device now free of bindings and fire walls. Vortash wasn't one to be impressed fairly much, but he had to give her some credit, she knew how to hack. She was scanning the barrier, getting as much data as she could before placing her hand on the side of the wall. Her demeanour changed in front of him as if someone just turned on a light. No longer did she hold that frustrated wail of borderline childish words, she became calm, collected. The very air changed as it crawled over him like spiders legs, making his sensors stand on end as he watched the barrier blink out, the pad that sealed her in going haywire until it fried with a loud _pop._

She was free! She practically bounded out of her cell, rushing to him as she did the same thing. The electric tang on his tongue growing stronger this time as he stepped back. He didn't know what she was, or what she was doing, but she was good at it. It only took her a minute as he watched the blue shine fall away. Just like that, they were staring at each other, face to face as she stood in the door way. "Well, you want me to shake your hand or something, get on with it."

"Promise me you won't stab me in the back later." He couldn't help but snort at the request, they were on a ship overrun with mercs and she wanted him to promise her to be a good person? She probably noticed his look of disgust as she began to back away, her own gaze narrowed as she spoke a language his translator didn't pick up. "Cut the crap and talk in a language that actually means something."

"I said I'm not letting you out, if you're just going to be even worse then the guys up stairs. I help you, you help me, deal?" They were at a stand off, but he had little choice, the beast in front of him was his best chance at survival right now, and damn it all if he was going to be caught just walking around like this to get a bullet between the eyes. "Fine, temporary alliance."

Just like that, his binds were gone, clattering to the floor that echoed through the room in a sickening sound. He hoped the mercs upstairs were stupid enough to think it was just her banging her head against a wall or something.

"Come on, I kinda know these ships." Of course she only kinda knew the ship, but kinda was better then being blind. Shaking his head, he began to fallow her, the smell of lavender making him dizzy as she climbed the stairs with more grace than he was expecting someone so tall. "You know how to get to the main battery?"

"Yeah why?" Her voice was softer now, a whisper as she crouched in front of the door that lead to the upper level.

"Because if we get there, we can open the emergency air lock and fly everyone out of here. Easiest way to deal with a merc band." He watched her face turn to one of horror, eyes wide and mouth open slightly as she shook her head. "What about the crew?" Of course, a bleeding heart, least he can rule her out of being a low life herself.

"The crew is already dead, no use in trying to save the bodies if we'd only end up joining them. Now lets go." She was frozen at first, looking down for a moment in thought as she tried to ration out his plan that hinged on the idea that no one was alive. He counted the gun shots, all lined perfectly in an execution, there was no way they kept any one alive aside from them and that was only because the two of them were worth something.

She seemed to get the idea, quickly she opened the door, the hissing sound causing him to look around for her. His four eyes changing every direction to get a better look before nodding for them to move forward. He could hear the feint sound of two people talking. He held up his hand, closing it to get her to stay still, she was stealthy but he had a feeling he could take care of it faster if she stayed put, he didn't know what she was, so he wasn't going to expect anything out of her unless he knew for a fact she could pull her weight in a fight.

It was a salarian and a krogan, of course it was a krogan. He had a feeling he was dealing with the Eclipse, the way their armor still held some kind of unity in the way they were half haphazardly painted. Vortash crouched behind a wall, the pair of mercenaries were just causally talking about their loot, saying what they were going to do with their share and laughing like brothers in arms. It was the weapons he noticed the most though, a shot gun and a pistol, perfect for both of them.

With practiced hands, he quickly swiped his own omni tool, cleaning it from the merc's frequency in even less time then the woman that was crouched out of his view. It was child's play, signalling in on their shields he downed them before rigging their own omni tools for a coded detonation. It took seconds for the beeping to sound off, the krogan pulling out his weapon while the salarian tried to claw the device away from him, his face pulling back in the stressful terror of someone who was once again getting too close to death. _Beep Beep Beep Beep beep!_

The bang bounced through the room, fallowed by the smell of burnt flesh as their armour fused to their skin at their arms. The metals a crinkled mess as the salarian lay dying while the krogan began shooting in every direction with an angry roar. "Shit..." He tried to crawl away, finding himself under a table as the heavy boots slammed on the floor feet away from his face. "Show yourself you damn coward!" He screeched, another shot rang out, the pain only making the alien even angrier as he snarled.

Another scream echoed through the room, the female that was with him, causing Vortash to curse again. There was no way she was going to fight off that damn thing! Peaking out he saw her in a gripe with the alien, trying to grab his weapon as she kneed him in the back of his calves yet the krogan only grunted as he back handed her. She still stood her ground, the two head butting each other and pushing against the other in a clearly loosing battle.  
He had to act fast, he slid to the salarian, the merc still clinging to life he pulled out his pistol and pointed it at him, yet all the batarian had to do was kick him in the side to grab the weapon from shaking fingers, for himself. The grunts of a grapple still sounding behind him as he turned just in time to see her manage to slam the krogan's face into a wall, the act taking a bit of strength from her and causing the krogan to give a joyful laugh. "I like you! Too bad I'm not in the mood to play!"

It was just enough time for him, the two were separated. Pulling the trigger, Vortash felt the heat sink slid into the chamber and explode in his hands in a satisfying burn as the bullet lodged itself into the krogan's eyes as he made his way to the woman. It took him a few seconds to realize what happened, staggering from the shot as he reached for his eye where the shot lodged in his skull, fallowed by a few more for good measure as he fell to the floor, like a ship crashing into a rock.

She was breathing hard, eyes wide as she turned her breath out her nose to calm herself down. She was holding a hand to her chest, a ugly bruise forming at her left cheek from when the krogan hit her. "Thanks" he just nodded to her, throwing the pistol in her direction as she caught the weapon with confusion in her gaze. "I'm better with a shot gun, give it here." He could tell she was a little uncomfortable handling the weapon, the sight making him groan as he wandered to her and ripped it out from under the krogan, before grabbing her own hand. "Point that at the enemy, and pull the trigger, point it at me, and I'll promise I can shoot faster."

"I um...Bad time to say this but I never shot a gun before." He wasn't listening to her much, firing off a round to kill the salarian as he pocketed his credit chip, only to realize that she done the same to the krogan. "Well, then learn, I don't have time to hold your hand." Still, the confession did give him some time for confusion to set in, she was able to fight off a krogan for a few seconds and never fired a gun? No matter, he really didn't have time to get invested in her.

The pair continued onward, checking halls and rooms, and slipping by a few groups unnoticed. Vortash wasn't expecting the ship to be this full of Eclipse. He knew the ship wasn't that small, he saw the outside of it when they found him hiding out in the cargo hold with her. He was just trying to hitch a free ride and now they were met probably ten to one on ether side.

It continued on like that for what felt like hours. Wander, wait, turn left then wait. He later realized that his companion didn't know enough to give him a direct path, settling on being in the front so he could get a better scope of the area as she so annoying mentioned. "Four eyes are better then two." She had a point but he wasn't going to admit it.

"Down here" it was a long corridor, a straight shot with no one in sight. He didn't like it, but with the way the ship was set up, that had to have been the main engine. He looked back to the woman, it was obvious she wasn't a fan ether, her shoulders were tensed as her eyes flicked around at every corner, trying to find something that can set her off. "We'll have to make a run for it."

She only nodded, looking behind her again. She was cautions, this entire run had been too smooth aside from their first encounter. Not once did they get into a fight. They locked eyes, a silent confirmation that they had each others backs for now as they went on. Vortash quickening his pace as she covered for him, swiping the area with her pistol in such a clumsy manner that he almost forgot she could fight at all.

He almost slammed himself into the door, the red light was what he was expecting as he flicked on his omni tool. Fingers tapping faster then his eyes could fallow as he went from one bypass to another. Salarian tech, while they were smart, was nothing compared to a shadow broker agent. Few seconds in and the door hissed open, ready for the two to end this little game.

 _Bang!_

"You have to be fucking kidding me." He turned around, and he was met with exactly what he was trying to avoid. A group came charging at them, two taking cover as a third held a short gun, ready to blow smear them on a wall. The woman took her own cover, eyes wide as she shakily took aim, hesitating long enough to try and remember what the batarian told her before firing. The recoil took her by surprise, a yelp in pain but quickly shaking it off as she tried again. "Hurry and close the door, I'm not the best at this!"

She could say that again. The batarian in the middle was quickly making his way to them, one handed pistol as he shot off another round that whizzed past her and nailed him in the calf. Searing hot pain thrashed through his body as he cried out, only to push past her and give out a round of his own and splattering the male over the floor before locking the door in a fury. He could hear the other slamming on the steel behind him, trying their best to unlock the work he did, but he knew it would take hours for that to happen.

"Fucking shit, shoot at them next time." She didn't say anything, marching passed him as she turned on the terminal and filed through. Right, she hacked her own omni tool, hopefully she could do this so he could sit down for a minute. As he licked his wounds applied some medi gel he stole from the salarian before, he watched her go through the code. She was half decent, enough that the metallic voice of the ship echoed from the speaker to their left. _"Confirmation of_ _releasing_ _emergency air lock?_ "

Her fingers stopped, eyes resting on the screen as she looked ahead of her. He knew that look all too well, and he was not about to put on a gamble. With a hiss, he limped to her side, leaning against the terminal as he pushed her away. "I know we should do this, I feel like we should but..." Her words tapered off, eyes going to his wound that he just waved away, a heavy sigh escaping him. It felt like he was dealing with a child. He had to remind himself that she was not like his brothers, she should be considered a civilian at this point.

"If you were willing to kill that many people just cause I said it was a good idea, I'd call you an idiot." He didn't look at her reaction, just going through the controls and entering his newly made pass code, the voice echoing around them again, fallowed by the screams that lasted only a second. _"Confirmation accepted, opening_ _emergency_ _air lock."_

Silence passed between them, silence that Vortash was grateful for. He wasn't one for comforting, even less so when they came to him for it. So when she wandered away from him to sit down, staring off into space, he took his own spot on the other side of the room as he waited for the storm to pass and he could get on with his life.

 **Hello again! I'm so happy to see pepole liking this already! Like, wow, I was not expecting 4 reviews on the first bat. So, thank you so much, I would have posted sooner but I was at a convention and really didn't want to work on this and work on cosplay at the same time.**

 **Anyway, side note, (And slight spoilers? Super minor detail from ME2 you have to hunt) I do not own the name Vortash. He is actually as close of a cannon character I could make with the information of Garrus's team I could find. You can find his name was carved in Garrus's visor and he even talks about having a grade a ass-hole batarian team member who was the absolute best at hacking.**

 **Dom380: I do understand that it would have been more interesting to have Dulan be a qunari. But I'll be honest with you, I didn't want to hinder my writing so much as to have the main character be bound by the qun. I do really like that idea though and will put it in my pocket for future chapters!**

 **My two guests that also commented, thank you so much! I hope I don't disappoint you guys! Finger crossed you like this one as much as the last chapter!**


	3. Deals for Omega

**Chapter 2**

 **Deals for Omega**

Hours passed sitting in that room, the steel a constant reminder that they were trapped. The sounds of the batarian's omni tool and the ventilation from the air ways, being the only sounds as Dulan leaned against the far wall of the main chamber. It's only been three days since she escaped from the lab, and already she took over a ship, killed everyone on board and made an alliance with a batarian of all things.

She couldn't stop herself from looking at him. The way all four of his eyes seemed to be able to move on their own, keeping a constant range on the world around him, Skin of old leather, worn beyond age and pulled back over a harsh body that seem to have known it's fair share of fights. She's never seen a batarian up close before, she hadn't seen any other race up close besides the salarians and on one rare occasion, an assari. The images from her terminal being her only true connection to the outside world, and even then that didn't fully prepare her to the oddity that was sitting a few feet away from her. She couldn't pin him to anything from her home world. He actually looked closer to that of some kind of demon that would haunt her dreams with awful cries. She chalked it up to her home world once having terrible predators. Still, the thought gave her little idea of giving her anything to cause some kind of familiarity to the alien.

Her staring had to have gotten to him eventually. One eye locking onto her, a pitch black void, of annoyance that creased the wrinkles of his features, as his fingers finally stopped typing. "What do you want?" His voice was pulled back and sharp, cut and to the point, as his lips were shaped to hold a sneer without even having to turn his head. She gotten used to the way he spoken to her, realizing there was no point in taking offence to something that could very well be his treatment to everyone. He saved her last night, that's all she should care about now. Still, she couldn't keep the embarrassment of being caught to force her to look away, finding the dead screen of the battery being the most fascinating thing she's seen since she left. "I um...I just never seen a batarian in person before."

A snort echoed through the room. The shifting of fabric making her realize that he was turning to face her for the first time since they locked themselves in the room. "So, pet, someone's collection. Slave?" Spoken just as harshly with a hint of disinterest, still, it was better then the quick pace that the salarians would always use.

She shrugged, turning her gaze back to the alien. They stared each other down, waiting for the other to move as the Tal Vashoth found herself fine with simply focusing on the lower set of voids in the male's face. A few more moments she started to realize the hint of annoyance and something else she couldn't make out due to his strange features. "None, how bout you?" She shot back, surprising herself with how short and sharp her answer was. It left a strange taste in her mouth, yet the air of familiarity hung heavily between the two of them. She's been here before, not in this room but the idea of staring someone down and playing a game of words felt so natural as they danced over her tongue.

He seemed to have noticed the challenge. She read about how batarians were like that sometimes. Being merchants at heart, and playing the game of cat and mouse when it came to getting a deal of just about anything. "So, just decided to run to a salarian shipment then?" She watched him slowly giving her his attention, a hand resting on his knee as he continued to look at her with all four eyes. It was her turn to question him, leave him with less of this game."Least guarded, and you decided to steal a ride too?"

The moment she turned her interest back to him though, he lost his. Turning to look away, he went back to his omni tool, an air of boredom surrounding him as he made a strange sound that she could have compared to the noise of a terminal cracking from too much use. "I'll tell you, if you give me your name" she replied.

Another grunt like sound, he didn't look up any-more. Still carrying that board gesture as he flicked through the tool only to flare the terminal to life behind him. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't impressed, he's been hacking back into the heavier controls this entire time. "Throw both your name, and the answer to my last question, and I'll consider it." Of course he wanted more, he wanted the higher end of the deal. It was a game at this point, playing with basic information as they gambled at the table. A graceful show of hands that nether wanted to forfeit.

An idea coming to mind, she turned on her own tool. Leaning back into the wall and giving all her attention to the device at her wrist. Her fingers flicking from screen to screen as she forced a yawn to pass through her lips. She head him shake his head as he went back to work, she wouldn't be surprised if he was fine with her ending the conversation. He wasn't very social, simply staying away and only making the smallest gestures if she asked about it. It was his work that made him come to life.  
She had to be careful, listening for cues from the terminal as it flared up and spoke in it's own language of beeps and switched from key to key. Salarians were so quick to switch from screen to screen that they often needed to have sound cues so that they would continue on with their work without having to look away from what was needed. The soft click or beep being all she needed to hear as he went from lock to lock until he settled on something that was worth opening.

Now!

She turned off the volume of her own tool, locking onto the form to her right as she scanned the device only for her brow to shoot up. She was expecting it to be under lock down but she's never seen something this tight, nothing in the lab, not even the main security was anything close. Fire walls, encryptions and coding flashed on her screen, her mind going into overdrive as anxiety flared in her system when she realized that she had to fight off a nasty virus from frying her own device. She didn't even think that he had the thing trapped!

She had to work fast, typing away at everything, locking and unlocking only to recode and reassemble the entire system she stole within seconds. It as half a minute before she even allowed herself to breath again, her fingers shaking, an ache reaching into her hands as if a krogan hand stomped on them with everything he had, while a bead of sweat rolled down her skin. She was safe, good to go. She couldn't hide the smug little grin that shown up on her features when she finally saw the fruits of her labour. The name Vortash, showing on her own screen but nothing else before it was quickly deleted by the batarian's own hand.

The smile quickly vanished however as the alien known as Vortash stood up. Almost stalking to her perch while he was able to loom over her from her spot on the floor. Rage plain as day etched into his features as sharp as a blade while he seemed to snarl at her. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."

This was bad, really bad. She knew that she could maybe hold out against him in a fight, but he knew how to use a gun while she would blindly fumble for it. The tinge of fear wafted over her skin, dancing over her senses and yet all that would show was a smile appearing on her lips in blissful comfort as if welcoming an old friend. She didn't know what took hold of her, grabbing her marionette strings and forcing her hand up in greeting, but she was glad she did it as the sound of her voice echoed in the room, so loud she was sure it would bust her ear drums.

"Well Vortash, why would you want to kill me before I even introduce myself? Dulan, and now we're even."

She was not expecting that to work, she should have made her piece and kiss her adventure goodbye. Silence ticked by them, slow, horrible, agonizing silence that seeped into her very soul before the batarian finally gave away his next expression. One of annoyance as his brows furrowed while he made a sharp click noise. "You do that again, and I'm sending you through the air lock." A threat she was sure was not empty, yet she couldn't contain the smile on her face when the alien known as Vortash extended his grisly hand for her to shake. A spark of pride blooming in her chest when she realized they settled on a mutual form of respect between the two hackers. His hand was warm, the skin scaly and holding a strange texture that was nether harsh nor soft, she didn't like it.

The room flared open, shaking the pair as the listened to the metallic voice speak of finally being prescribed to release them from the battery. Scrambling to her feet, Dulan grabbed the pistol that she kept on the floor beside her, the weight of the weapon still felling off in her hands. Vortash doing the same, she couldn't help but notice he was a little behind her, shotgun poised to the ground, but skilled hands readying it for use.

As the doors gave way with a mighty hiss, Dulan was greeted with the smell of salarian sterilization. The familiarity crept over her skin and an eerie quietness encased her upon walking out of the chamber. Violet eyes resting on a blood stain of a sickly yellow, faded from treatment. A few hours ago, there was a team pounding on the door, screaming. Now they were gone, torn from the safety of their claimed ship into the vacuums of space. Her jaw tensed into a hard line, watching Vortash walk beside her, apparently displeased at her slow pace while he seemed far more relaxed at the idea that they killed so many people, with just a push of a button.

That's right, she played a hand in killing all those people. They would have killed her, there's no doubt in her mind, but still. The image of the krogan giving a hearty laugh when she threw him in the wall played in her mind, he had people that would miss him. She's never killed anyone in memory, and the sensation was not something she was taking joy in as she trotted to keep up with the batarian that was strolling through the halls, as if it was his own ship.

The mess hall was empty, storage units silent, sleeping quarters left frozen in a frantic time now lay still, as Dulan passed them by with no more then a second glance. She knew better then to voice her opinion right now, keeping her thoughts when she felt the cold hand of dread crawl up her spine as her eyes laid upon the green and blue stains. It was like a twisted portrait, lined down the hall in perfect execution as the colors splattered the floor, and speckled the walls.

She didn't know what came over her when she walked to the stains, kneeling down as she let her hand hover over what little was left of the crew member. A horrible taste of guilt clung to her tongue that she couldn't swallow down as she bowed her head. _"Ghilani Esa'aravas. Ir elgar. Esa din'an na halam. Esa vallasdareth na uth. Ghilani atisha la dareth."_

The words flew from her lips in a solemn tune as she stood. The sound seeming to stay in place while the Tal Vashoth began to wander back to Vortash. If the man had any questions, he didn't voice them as he sat down in the pilots seat, the need for silence a welcome one as Dulan stood behind him for a few moments, just watching that batarian work in a surprisingly skilled manner. "You know how to fly?" She just shook her head, taking another step to stand beside him. "No, but I can learn."

That seemed to have been the right answer, turns out she was lucky when she ran into Vortash of all people. The male could fly a ship just well enough to dock it into the code that was already programmed into the coordinates. The message of Omega flashing before her in the terminal and causing the woman to be only slightly uneasy. Omega, the city of the forsaken, it was the best place to hide, none of the lab members would ever think of fallowing her to that hell hole.  
The images of the lawless wasteland flashed in her mind though. The merc bands and how they ran the city. Aria, the cold blooded assari and how she ruled them. How crime and poverty was just every day life and even the average civilian was taught how to kill just so they can live in peace for a few seconds every day. It was literally worlds away of what she was used to, what she thought she was used to. Dulan would be blindly wandering such a place and surviving by luck. But what choice did she have? It wasn't the danger of Omega that was scaring her though, as she sat in the copilot seat.

It was the feint eagerness that was welcoming her at the thought of going.

And that was were they were docking. She's been in Vortash's company for a few days now, only a handful of words spoken between them as they worked to keep the ship running just long enough to get them here. It was hard, running from place to place with Vortash in her omni tool telling her to fix something or reboot something else.

It was strangely fun though, Dulan held a strong fascination to the workings of the ship, always listening to when Vortash explained how to fix something, always curios when she found a terminal that she could get through. It paved the way for wonder, wonder that was only strengthened when she found herself in the cock pit and looking out at the asteroid that hung in the space before them. Omega, the twisting metal climbing to cling to the vibrant rock of crimson that held the strangest glow she's ever seen. It looked like a jelly fish, or a human brain stem that lazily climbed across space and turned due to it's own weight. "It's incredible" her eyes were wide as she we met with silence, Vortash still working while she strapped her guitar on her back, the instrument having been found in the storage rooms. This was going to be her home for a while, the uneasy feeling was met with the same kind of fascination that she couldn't help but see whenever she looked out at the city.

Dulan fallowed Vortash as he turned on the com to be greeted with the echoed voice of what she was going to assume was another batarian. "State your business." The voice climbed through the radio, yet she couldn't help but notice the feint after sound of them being on the other side of the door that they kept locked.

"Me and my partner were attacked on our way back home. Keep the ship, and we'll call it even." That's right, the mercs they killed were Eclipse, Dulan looked back out at the docking port, the door being the only barrier between them, and a group or possibly angry killers ready to even the score. She was met with surprise however when the com flared to life again, "Deal, what happened here is none of our business."  
She sunck a look at Vortash, but he paid no mind as he unlocked the door. The pair walking out to be met with a group of batarians as they gave them a side look, nether party speaking in a silent battle as they passed. "You know the rules" was all the leader said as they left them to their ship, the creaking vessel quickly falling out of view due to the marred and dilapidated ceiling of twisted metal.

She was expecting many things, but the smell of sweat, shame and anger was a mixture she hadn't actually prepared for. The smallest hint of sweetness from decaying bodies lingered in the compressed air so heavily that she could taste it. Her insides churning at the thought. The buildings rose and fell so tightly that the iron walls blocked out what little chance she had of seeing the stars outside the horizon. Metal, that's all there was. Metal from different worlds, tech from different times as they clashed and fed off each other like parasites. The streets themselves stained from years of torment while the crowds walked close together, cramped yet always having a space between each other, hands expertly hidden from every alien that crossed her gaze. Krogan, batarians, turians, assari, salarians, even volus, so many races and species that she's never seen before.

It was so strange, the smell, the sights, the pulsing beat of a night club in the distance. She had to work hard in keeping up with Vortash. He was her best link here, and he hadn't told her off yet. Quickly he made a left, darting down an alleyway with the Tal Vashoth in toe, only to turn and take a right, climbing up the stairs into the market area and passing the legendary nightclub 'After life' without a second glance. Further and further they climbed through the city streets, Dulan trying her best to remember every path, every building and face until he climbed into empty shuttle, that's doors lay waiting for them, and taking her to the residential district.

Kima district flashing in large red letters, it only took them a few moments for the batarian to finally stop. He was standing at the edge of a bridge, a warehouse on the other side, with old concrete walls, and shattered windows. He quickly turned to face her, forcing the woman to take a step back as he crossed his arms.

"Listen, there's not a doubt in my mind I should have left you on that ship. But, I need someone to be my eyes in the field, and you haven't shot me in the back yet. You do as I say, and you can stay, you're not getting paid, all you're getting is a roof." It was the most he said in days, her face giving way to shock as she tried to find something, anything to give Vortash away. He was flat out saying she could stay? "What do I have to do?"

He pulled up his omni tool, flashing it to a few data sheets as he held it out to her. "There's a mercenary here that's been cleaning house. Not much is known about him, but I want in. We're finding him." She wasn't expecting that, the cold blooded batarian held an air of determination as he explained everything, he wanted to turn Omega on it's head, stick it to the big guns, and he thought this mercenary who's been taking them down was his best start in it. She had to admit, she had respect for him, enough that she held out her hand as the two grabbed each other in a deal. She may not have experienced the cruelty of this place first hand, but it was something she could get behind. Something that screamed of nostalgia that kept her wanting more like a fleeting high.

It was time to take out Omega's trash.

* * *

"One, two, four," The sound of gun shots rang through the hallowed halls like the booming voice of a thresher maw. Angry curses of vorcha and batarians fallowing suit as he hid behind his self made barricade. It was a simple job, ruffled a local gang's feathers by getting into a drop off and dismantling it, kill a few and leave a trail for the rest of them to fallow.

A crate of element zero sat behind him as he shuffled through his play list that continued on through his visor. An assari pop song causing his head to bob to the beat as he tried to forget that once again, it was just him. Sidonis and Meleins have gone on ahead to try and cover more ground and find a safer spot. The group have been jumping from apartments and warehouses to try and give the bands a slip in case some idiot tried to fallow them.

"And that makes five." Another click from his rifle, the turian clicking his mandibles as he let the music play out, acting as if without care while he was trying to hold his absolute disgust for the mercs that were snarling at him, despite being cut down like fish in a barrel. Was that saying right? Yeah, Shepard used that one a few times, easier one to remember. Fish in a barrel.

It was clean and easy, led them into an ambush after he got cover and pick them off one by one. The bullets from pistols and shotguns embedded into his cover while he himself began to stroll away unharmed. His weapon cradled against him in relaxed position as he looked around, he knew he got all of them, but he could never be too careful, no use in having someone survive a few bullet wounds to come after him later.

He checked the bodies, each one as lifeless as the last as they stared up at him with hallow eyes. The blood lust having been beaten out of them in their last moments. Garrus just gave a sigh, a little unnerved by how unfazed he was by the sight of a group of aliens he had just gunned down. It felt like just another day at work, another day without his favourite co-workers, another day without his best friend.

Shepard, damn has it already been six months? An ugly six months to say the least, it felt like so much more time had passed. More empty nights hanging onto a bottle, more curses and jokes that were left unspoken. He tried to imagine his commander being impressed with what he was trying to do, only to call him a crazy bastard for even attempting it. But what else was there to do? He could have continued his spectre training, but why would he, knowing that the only spectre he looked up to any-more was gone?

He could have justified that he could try and take Shepard's place but that was just too damn much. No one could take Shepard's place, and while he was slowly building up a team, Sidonis willing to learn and Melenis being just as crazy as some of the Normandy crew, he just couldn't call them home. None of them was brining the same joy he had on that ship, it was hard, and getting harder by the day...

"Garrus, you aright up there." Sidonis in his head piece being his life line that dragged him from his thoughts, the turian tore his gaze away from the bodies. "Yeah, just cleaning house, I'll meet you at the Gozu district, be needing to make a few calls there anyway." All he got was a few clicks to tell him that the two were on it when he signed out, giving a mighty sigh when he looked up at the twisting metals that climbed the walls of Omega. It was such an eye sore, but he at least felt a little better.

He couldn't stay long though, there was too much to be done and not enough time to finish it in a day. Giving the bodies one last look, Garrus Vakarian began to run down the corridor he came out of, ready to met his team and settle on another target. Just another day, and another pile of garbage to take out.

 **Hello there! And thank you for reading another chapter! I'm so sorry for not having a whole lot here this week, it's just that I really didn't feel right with jumping right into Omega and having Vortash make any kind of sense, but I have way too much planned for the next chapter that this was the only good stopping point I can come up with.**

 **To everyone who is favourite and fallowing, thank you so much! You have no idea how much this is helping me. Not really confident in my writing, but seeing at least one person enjoying it, is enough for me! If you have any words or see something wrong or just want to say hi, please leave a review and I will do my best to answer them in the next chapter.**

 **Also, side note if you want to hear it. Yes, Dulan was speaking elven, and yes, it was on purpose. DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUN**


	4. Montague

Omega  
Under no protection  
Year: 2183

"Dulan, am I saying that correctly?"

A light feather of an accent graced her ears, words pressing at her senses while violet eyes flicked down to see the small form of a woman before her. She was a pretty thing, with short brown hair and brilliant green eyes that sparkled with so many thoughts. Intelligence and curiosity with a dash of pride dancing in her gaze as she looked up at the towering figure without fear.

"That's right, and you're the, Herald if I'm not mistaken." Harald? What was she talking about? Confusion was all she had as she crossed her arms and leaned against the stone wall of a large building. Candle light flickering in her sights, while the smell of hay and pine wafted to her nose. Hay and pine, she's never smelled it before but that's what she would call this. What was this? Where was she? No matter what she looked at, nothing seemed out of the ordinary but she's never seen anything here before. She's never seen this hall of stone, she's never seen these people dressed in robes with daggers and swords in place of pistols and rifles. Still, looking at them made her feel as common place as if staring at the sanitized walls of a testing lab.

"As much as I'd hate to admit it, yes, that's what I'm now called. So, a word if I may?" Dulan couldn't help but nod her head, pushing herself from her perch and fallowing obediently after the tiny woman as she took them to a more secluded spot, a small side room that was missed in it's lighting. "I hear you are a qunari like The Iron Bull, is that true?"

"Yes, I fallow the qun to the best of my abilities."As the words left her lips, Dulan saw the woman's shoulders go tense, jaw squared as she looked lost in thought for a moment. Words that had made no sense fell from her in a easy manner as she found herself, smirking of all things. "Don't worry, I'm not about to try and take you or your men to the qun, it's not an easy life style believe me. You work in patching that hole in the sky and I'll work on keeping you alive."

That seemed to have been the right answer, her smirk being met with a look of equal amusement as the woman, the Herald, seemed to hold herself with the pride to take down a krogan. "Those are words I like hearing. Good to know, I better be able to hold you to it when we have demons snipping at our heels."

She woke with a start, body twitching for a moment as Dulan's eyes snapped open. She was laying on an old couch, a moth eaten blanket draped over her body while her pistol had sat obediently on the floor beneath her. Sweat beading on her brow, droplets on grey skin as she managed to get a look of the shriveled mess in the reflection of an old mirror. Dried drool still on her chin and hair dancing in untamed drunken chaos, as if she had been struck by thunder. Right, another day, another morning, and a new dream.

She pushed herself up from the couch, hand on her head and pulling at her hair to make sure she wasn't in fact still dreaming. Already her thoughts were twisted, bound tightly as she recalled every image that had just passed her by in the night.  
What was that? She couldn't make sense of any of it. The smell of hay, the sounds of hammers on steel, the guards, the warriors, the workers. The woman. The woman made her thoughts linger, her green eyes, piercing with determination, yet still offering Dulan a smile and friendly banter. How she was called Herald and seemed to command true respect from herself with no more then a title that had all and no meaning to her.

There was still the familiarity though, like a drug Dulan fallowed that feeling, a high that she could never be satisfied with. She had it sometimes when playing songs, or speaking with Vortash, or even just wandering around Omega. It was always there in various ways, a warm buzz in the back of her head telling her she was on the right path, to finding her memories.

Memories, memories of who she was before the salarians remade her. Who Dulan really was, she wanted to meet her. Wanted to know who she was more then anything, who was this woman and why could she override machines, why was she a decent fighter, why did she have memories of a woman that should belong to a fantasy novel?  
Who was she? Was she a good person? Was she a scholar, she knew how to read. Was she a warrior? Did she have great tales, did she have adventures? Maybe she was a traveling merchant or maybe she was a singer.

That could have been it, she loves music. She loves the songs of her time, words that would come naturally to her lips, songs that played before her with perfect clarity, yet their meaning was lost on her. She could be a singer, but that only left her wondering even more, did she have friends? A family? Was she alone? Was she hated or loved?  
A million ideas, a million stories all with different endings. A thousand thoughts playing in her mind and she wasn't even fully awake yet. She groaned, at the head ache that was starting to bloom in her skull. Contemplating your role in a past life is not how one should start the day.

"Can you be any louder?"

The voice of Vortash only caused the woman to roll her eyes as she tried to get a look around the corner. The batarian was where he always was ever since they got this place running, well, running just well enough to get a terminal started. She was actually kind of amazed at how skilled he was with the tech, while a good portion of their base was left in the dark, the batarian was basked in a pale orange light, as his fingers tapped at the keys, not a single move wasted.

He's been teaching her a lot, basic things to survive the streets of Omega. While he may have a stick up his ass, the guy was keen on keeping Dulan alive long enough for them to find their first target. One target down meaning another ass hat off the streets, and a step closer in finding this mystery mercenary that Vortash wanted to work with so badly.  
Trying to get a peak at the screen, the woman walked over, she towered over him now that he was sitting, looming almost as she took in the details of what he was working on.

They were cameras, foggy feed being given back to them in what she could only describe as some kind of party house. Resting a hand on the table, she leaned in, ignoring the growl from the batarian as she tried to figure out exactly what she was looking at. It was like a club with the flashing lights, yet the dance floor was empty, boxes and tables all lining the walls in a sparkling display, while all kinds of folk were laughing with each other, dressed in their best. "What is this?"  
"Its a casino that Rhi'hesh runs. One of his larger money makers I'm thinking. Been trying to get a read on this guy, but the bastard is hard to find." He moved to another screen, showing an assari and a salarian having no shame as they threw each other in what they thought was a privet room. He turned again, this time to the bathroom, and again to another empty room. "They usually don't operate during the early hours. Once I find Rhi'hesh though, I'll be sending you to one of these most likely. So next time you're out there doing whatever it is you do, make sure to get some nice clothes to blend in."

Nice clothes huh? She looked at the screens again, how they were dressed. Tight fitting clothes and suits that shown a sexual side of every species. They were playing, a party life that fooled around with drinks and music as they turned the machines and yelled whenever they got the pictures right. It was all so strange, it was probably going to be even stranger when she has to try and sneak around them. It caused a sigh to escape her, but she didn't protest. She wanted this guy gone just as bad.

Rhi'hesh Shurta, the guy was a nasty sort. One that Dulan wouldn't mind putting in the ground when Vortash had shown her the first time. He was a batarian with a deep red hide, and one scar under his far right eye. Those black orbs were cruel, she couldn't tell much from them, yet they screamed a difference between himself and the asshole that was sitting in front of her. While Vortash had a bark, he still allowed her to have a place to stay, and genuinely wanted to help people in his own grumpy way. This guy however, the black pits stuck in his face seemed to hide a very sinister undertone that sent shivers down her spine.

She was very right about that feeling though. From what Vortash was able to find out, the man was what he called a loan shark. Running the gambling operations through a large part in Omega. Rhi'hesh would allow the every day citizen to enjoy his casinos, only to get them addicted to the games, filling them with creds until they were in a hopeless debt. That was when his harsher side would come out, he would grab them and sell whatever poor soul couldn't come up with the credits in time. The two hadn't figured out where the targets go, but Dulan had a very easy time believing that wherever it was, wasn't a luxury cruise or a nice night out.

Hearing about him for the first time made the Tal Vashoth want to get him off this planet...asteroid. She wanted him gone, gone and forgotten and not a speck of his legacy to remain. She's been trusting Vortash in getting everything ready for her to go out and take care of things to the best of her ability. But it's been almost a month now, and all he's managed was to get into their cameras.

No, she had to be patient, this had to be a tricky situation. Much more so, then just hacking someone's omni tool. This was out of her league, the amount of coding that he was storing away on the data base he built from scratch and kept from leaving a trail was mind twisting, she could barely get around to fallowing what he was doing half the time. She thought she was good, but having a year to plan her escape is starting to seem like child's play compared to what the batarian was doing.

Instead, she was just going to keep trying to do her part. Grabbing her guitar, and putting her pistol at her hip, Dulan started to make her way to the darker part of the first floor. "You want anything while I'm out?" She yelled, a few seconds passing before his gruff voice echoed back down in a irritated tone of. "Something that doesn't taste like half baked shit!"

"Sorry, they don't make that on Omega!" She didn't hide her smirk as she punched in the code to lock the door behind her. Least Vortash had some sense of humor, that was always a plus. With the doors hissing open, she was once again met with the stench that was Omega, the smell of burning bodies, the sweetness of decay, and sweat, anger and fear. It caused her to stagger slightly, the door had shielded the city away for the night but now she was at it's mercy. She hated the smell, hated it so much. But even then it was better then sanitized lemon.

There was very little public transportation, you ether had a bit of extra credits to get on the one shuttle, clearance from someone like Aria, or your own car. Dulan, had none of these, she barely had enough credits to get her by. Just a measly savings that she had stolen from Cadel.  
With her issue, she often found herself restricted to the Kima district, walking along on foot through the semi abandoned town. The occasional scavenger, drunk on spirits, would stumble about and crash in a corner of forgotten metals, yet other then that, no one. Not a soul in their little stretch of sanctuary, it was nice for a while, felt like home until she realized something.

She almost never saw the open space above her. There was no sky, no real atmosphere and even then she was barred from that. It was just twisting halls of mining tunnels, long iron and steel walls and floors, creaking with every step that she made. The pipes above her no longer spewing whatever it was they did, and the windows by her sides painted in a blacks, browns and grays. Sometimes she would find graffiti decorating the walls, or hear the scurrying steps of the homeless and whispers of agony from a victim of a gang, to show any indication that her and Vortash had neighbors. Ones that were almost a mile away, but neighbors all the same.

It made getting credits a bit of a challenge. Her skills were music, her trade the sound. With no one to listen to her there was no one to pay. Something she soon realized when Vortash told her to go and do something useful with her free time. She wanted to argue with him, but she found herself stuck, the man had a point he was doing all he could to find their target, the least she could do is figure out how to bring dinner home.  
A new soul in the lawless wasteland of Omega, expected to bring dinner home. A tall order, but one she could use as practice. Fresh from the spotless salarian lab, she had a lot to learn. Who to spot as a threat, who to steal from and who to watch out for. All she really knew for fact was that everyone was a terrible person in their own way, and that After Life should always be avoided.

So, she's taken to having morning walks through the streets of Kima. She was usually left alone, those who were pushed this far down into the city really didn't have much to their name. Dulan being blessed with her height was used to her advantage as well, not many wanted to fight someone larger then themselves if they could afford it.  
Hands in her pockets, she tossed her head back, she could hear the voices of broken souls down the halls. Groaning in pain, tears of anguish, she was getting closer to the residential area of the district. The sight of a half starved human at the end of the hall brought a ping to her gut. Even from here she could see just how far down he fell, skin draped over bones and moth eaten fabric loosely hanging from his form like a flag of the loosing war.

She stopped a few feet from him, the move causing the man to throw up his head like a frightened animal, wide cloudy eyes seeming to see right past her. "Hey" her voice was quiet, hesitant, what was she doing? She couldn't do much for herself let alone a stranger. Still, as she looked at him, the way he shook in the hot breeze of the city hall, she couldn't help but feel some kind of sympathy for him. She was about to take another step when he all but spat at her. "Get away from me! Monster! Leave you disgusting filth!"

She stopped, brow raised and honestly a little hurt at the words. Monster? It was obvious at just how gone he was, why he was so crazed as his body withered across the floor, trying to crawl away though he moved with less grace then a dying dog. "Hey now I-"

"No use talking to him, high off his life. Doesn't remember a damn thing." A woman's voice behind her, Dulan turned her head, eyes narrowed at the figure of a small tiny thing, no taller then five feet with short chopped read hair at one side. She was dressed much better then the man she was looking at. Plain looking browns and blacks, of simple pants and a coat with soft leather boots. She was the picture of a resident in Omega from the vids she's seen, all she needed was a gang behind her and a few extra weapons. The woman must have seen Dulan's face, as she simply crossed her arms and continued her explanation for the screaming as the man reached for nothing.

"It's red sand, stuff is all over Omega if you have the credits and bad luck. Makes you see the best in life for a few moments, strong but fleeting and it gets em hooked fast. Once you have too much though, you start looking like your friend down there."

She shouldn't have been surprised, it was Omega, the city of broken dreams. Drugs had to have been common, but to see it withering in such a broken soul was...hard, to say the least. Dulan found herself looking at him a little longer, ignoring the strings of swears that simply washed past her before she saw the woman approach. "Still have a heart? You must be new here. Name's Montegue." Green eyes looked right up to her, the woman Montegue having to almost break her neck to get a good look at her face. "Well you know, when someone introduces themselves it's usually polite to do the same."

A heavy sigh escaped her at that response, so she wanted to know her? Arms crossed, Dulan took another step back, intimidated by the woman that was barely even at her chest. She was just so, sneaky, sly, a silver tongue that moved with the grace of a cat. "Dulan..." She said after a few moments of silence, the name somehow making that smile become even larger as she clapped her hands together. "Dulan hun? Nice to meet you friend! I have time to kill so I thought, hey why not, lets hang out with the new face in town."

"New face? How long have you been watching me?" The confusion only caused Montegue to laugh at her, the sound not quite fitting well with the Tal Vashoth as she waited for her to calm down. "Oh man, you really think no one would notice someone like you come in here? What are you? Seriously though, what are you? Some assari hybrid gone wrong?" She didn't answer that, simply walking away into the deeper parts of the Kima district while the tiny thing known as Montegue had kept to her heels, tailing her like an obedient shadow.

* * *

She was a talkative creature, she would have to bound to keep up with Dulan's even strides, and even that didn't seem to put a damper on her mood, only energize it as she spoke about her life. She explained how she's a thief, a robin hood in her own words. She would steal from the gangs and low lives in Kima and give them to the struggling families that she would notice in the district. It was a noble act, she had to admit, a kind one, but the way she so carelessly said it made Dulan wonder if she should even be seen with the girl.

"So what about you? Ya got one crummy pistol and a..well I don't know what the hell that thing is, but it looks cool."

"You mean the guitar?" She raised her brow, they been sitting on a half made bench of concrete that jutted out of the wall. There was more people here, easier to deal with as humans, turians, salarians and even an assari would wander back and forth between them. Families that were just down on their luck it seemed, but at least they had more life then the beggar.

"Wait, that's a guitar! Like a real Guitar?" The question made Dulan narrow her eyes, brining the instrument close in a manner that she hoped screamed of a warning. Holding up her hands though, her shadow only smiled again. "Don't worry, I won't steal it, scouts honor, you're not an asshole. I just never seen one before, where did you get it? Actually, better yet, do you know how to play it?"

She didn't want to play into the million questions that would come if she explained where she got her companion. So, she simply nodded, bringing the instrument into her lap and playing a quick cord. The sound flooded through the air, a gentle summer breeze that caused a few souls to stop and stare before continuing on. "No no no! Don't stop!" Blinking, she looked back at the thief, she was sitting cross legged, staring at Dulan with the awe of a child as she looked between her and the instrument. "Please, can you play something? We don't get much music aside from the clubs here."

That was enough to get her back to the cords. She could hear the pounding sound of After life in every corner of Omega. That sound grated on every nerve, there was no grace, no softness, no life, only mindless vibrations. Brining up the music somehow struck some pride within the Tal Vashoth as she brought her fingers to the strings and began to play. Soft tunes at first, the running of a forest brook, turning into the fall of rain, the rolling thunder. Electrifying, she could feel it dance over her skin as she played, the very life of music tapping over her mind and soul as she threw her head back and just let herself be that, herself for a little moment longer.

She loved this, this moment of peace as she filled the air with music. A language feeling so natural and yet the meaning of each word was lost to her. Her fingers plucking and strumming the strings as though it were the love of her life, the neck resting against her so perfectly.  
When she finally stopped, she noticed there was a small crowed of people, a few stranglers that wanted to join in for the free entertainment. Their eyes holding a small spark at the music to let them forget about their worries for just a few moments. The song of Omega soon came back however as they trickled away. The steaming pipes and the distant boom of night clubs being their tune, a sound that Dulan really just wanted to bar away.

"That was amazing!" She almost forgotten about Montegue when she came to see the woman watching her from only a foot away. "I honestly thought I was just seeing a new girl, but you, oh man you can really do some good here with that thing. People need some light in their lives after all and you seem to deliver."  
She only shrugged, placing the straps back around her so she could stand again. She could see over the crowd with ease, those who had stayed to watch her were already gone, back to their daily tasks and forgotten. "I play when I can, but honestly these people need a lot more then a nice song every once in a while..."

It was true, she's only been here for a few weeks and she's seen the horrors of this place. Of violence, of streets lining in drunken bodies and left to the mercy of the blue suns and eclipse, she just seen the effects of red sand, she's seen how people can be gunned down while others will pretend they saw nothing. Omega didn't need some medi gel and a nap, it needed to have it's infection cut away. It only became more clear when she heard the gun shots, and the screaming.

"We gotta go!"

It was a cut command, Dulan was already there, running to the source, the now thinning cowed parting ways for her while Montegue screamed at her back. "Dulan wait!" But she didn't wait, turning a corner into an alleyway she saw two drell at the mercy of a batarian, his weapon, a cruelly made hand gun pointed at the ground where he just shot it off in warning. A wicked smile on his features as he simply held out his hand, beckoning them like a teasing game.

She didn't think when she moved, her body fueled by the ever need of familiarity that was pulsing with each second. She could see the fear in the couple's faces, how the female was trembling under the watch of the male. "Hey! Get away from them!" She screamed, a voice that shook their attention as The male drell tossed his head up, wide black eyes looking at her in bewilderment when the batarian turned to face her. He lulled his head to the side, his shoulders squared as he pointed the barrel of a pistol in her direction, his eyes trailing over every detail she had as his face contorted into a smirk. "Or what sweet heart? You wanna take their place, cause I'm down to leave them alone if you give me your credits and a night."

She wanted to barf, the way he spoke to her only meant one thing. The feeling of utter disgust washed over her, while she pulled her lips back like a beast, snarling at the male. Her pride was hurt now, hurt and violated as she crouched. She didn't have anything smart to say, no witty humor as she felt her legs force herself to move across the alleyway. A freight train of muscles lunging at him with the grace of a ox, as a roar of war echoed from the now empty streets. She was quick, hand grabbing his own, she forced it up, just in time for her shoulder to pop from the force of it going off. Her heart was pounding, ready to tear itself from her chest when she was face to face with the vile breath that was the batarian, as he began to curse at her.

Pain soon engulfed her, his free hand snaking around and punching her as hard as he could in her gut. Dulan's legs buckling under the sudden stress of the hit, the hand she held up swaying for just a moment for him to get it back. Yet she wasn't done, instinct was making her move more than anything as she grabbed him again, skin to skin as the feeling of sparks passed through her finger tips, the batarian roaring in pain, ready to shoot off another round. The sound deafening, thrashing against her skull in every direction, causing the woman to finch, prepared to drop herself from the pain of a bullet wound.

It never came, instead her opponent grew heavy, a puppet cut from strings as the dead wight began to lean on her. Relief and disgust coming to her mind, Dulan pushed the now twitching body off her shoulder. Crimson staining the sleeve of her shirt, the smell of iron filling her senses while the two behind her began to whisper to themselves. Her translator unable to pick up what they were saying only to see their heads bowed in prayer, their hands free of any weapon.

Instead, she was met with the hulking form of a turian, his frame taking up half of the alleyway, still holding the glistening form of a sniper rifle in his hands. No, he more cradled it with a sense as if it was a part of his own body. She's only watched a few turians before, but even then she could tell he was a different case. Blue eyes under a visor studied her, already lowering the weapon. His armor was a deep blue color, more personalized then the soldiers shes seen, while he carried himself with more collected skill then the mercenaries that been wandering about. He was a danger, a harnessed predator that only relaxed, even slightly when the two drell began to thank him.

"Thanks..." She was breathless, adrenaline still in her veins when Montegue came running past him. Eyes wide and wild as she looked through the chaos. "You okay? You just ran without a word." All Dulan could do was nod, still staring at the turian who had yet to say a word to her as he exchanged some comments with the drell. Asking if they were okay before herding them out of the alleyway and on the path home, hopefully to forget what had just happened. It was only then that he looked back at her, seeming to be confused that she was still standing where he had left her.

"Next time you're in a fight, it's better to shoot the bad guy before asking him to dance." She shivered, voice in a mocking tone it still was a deep purr that had undertone overlaying even more undertones. Like the hum of a ship or the soft tunes of electricity that would linger over skin. She's never really listened to a turian before. They were never really at the lab, and she tried to keep her head down here, but listening to that voice directed at her caught the woman off guard, enough so that she only managed a. "Yeah, sure" before straightening herself out, shaking her head at the way she was holding up before she began to walk in the direction she came from. The way that was blocked by the male that had decided to save her life.

"Seriously though, thank you, I owe you a lot. Ether my life or a few days on the couch." She tried to pass him, the turian complying and stepping out of her way while she felt those blue eyes study her. "So, did you know those two? Not every day civilians help each other out here." She raised a brow at the question, realizing how strange everything must have looked as she once again shook her head. Right, this was Omega, the city of keep your head down if you wanted to keep it. But that wasn't her, she hadn't had this hell hole get her yet.

"No, they just needed help was all." He turned his head in a bird like fashion, a look of curiosity taking over his features as he extended his hand. She took it without thought, a steady grip that held a hidden strength. Noticing how they were a similar height for once, she didn't have to look down as they shared a mutual respect for one another. "Maybe this rock might be worth saving, civilians saying thank you and helping each other out. Nice change." She didn't have much to say to that, only agree as she nodded her head again, just in time for his omni tool to flash on in a message. Without a word he took it, reading it over with practiced eyes before he began to make his trek back to wherever it was that he needed to go to. "Again though, don't jump in front of bullets, it's not good for you."

She'd have to keep that in mind, a smirk on her features from the comment she finally managed to get out of the alleyway only for her companion to stay on her trail. The red head putting her hands in her pockets, looking back the way the turian came only to look up at Dulan for three to five times. "So, he was cute."

She stopped walking, not having to look around to see that they were alone now. The civilians scattering in fear from the sounds of gunfire. "Cute?" She wasn't expecting that, a scaly face and bird like movements, not exactly the definition of cute, yet Montegue seemed to have set her mind on the thought. "Oh yeah, blue eyes, deep voice, for a turian, he was cute. Come on, you froze up when he started talking, you were completely open for me to just unlock your credit chip and take all you have." The comment was just left with a grin, total ignorance to the glare the Tal Vashoth was giving her as she started walking again. "I never really seen a turian up close before, he just caught me off guard. And why are you still fallowing me? Everyone else ran."

Laughter of all things escaped her. Arms behind her back, the thief kept up with her strides. "I like you, so I'm gonna see where this goes." Dulan just sighed, trying to find a way to loose her only to realize that the tiny woman has been here far longer then her, she had the home advantage, very little chance in shaking her off the trail. Giving into defeat, her pride still healing from the amount of them she had today, she looked down at the still smiling Montegue. "Fine, you can fallow me, under one condition."

"And whats that?"

"Show me some food that won't taste like half baked shit."

* * *

 **Hey! Thank you so much for coming by and giving this a read!**

 **I'm sorry I been really slow on posting. This story has become a much bigger project then I have originally thought. It already has about 80 pages saved on my laptop in just notes! Because of that, I been doing a lot of research for both Dragon age and Mass Effect in order to get the best world, and try to stay as true to these games as I can! From reading all the codex, books and even comics to try and find all the little secrets. So between that, and my jobs I found myself putting this off for way too long.**

 **Please tell me what you think! I work really hard on this, and do take your reviews to heart to try and get better at my writing. This chapter was a bit of a pain to write since there is just so many ways to throw yourself in Omega. But I tried a safer route, and hopefully you guys are okay with just a filler chapter since Garrus is now here.**

 **To:** Dream Dragoness  
 **Thank you so much for your thoughts on the matter of Tal Vashoth and Qunari. I'm starting to realize I should have gone with the more common rules of Qunari. But before making this story I did a ton of reacrch to try and find the best dynamic of the qun and Tal Vashoth, and see where Dulan would find herself. I soon realized that in Codexes made by Tal Vashoth, they never call themselves Qunari, taking themselves fully in their banishment horns or not, and it really made me think of how their social dynamic was working.  
While Dulan is not biologiclly a Tal Vashoth, I wanted her to go the route of being torn away from the Qun so she could fully embrace this side of her life like others have done and take it as an actual race. Only to loose the word Qunari entirly due to not having her memories, so I ended up making her almost like Sera in a sense with how she wouldn't call herself an elf, and just refured to herself as pepole.  
**

 **Again sorry for the confusion! I'll try to make it as clean as I can while still staying true to the dynamic structure between Qun and Tal Vashoth. (Then there's the Kossith but I'm honestly not going to touch that, it's just too much.)**

 **Hope to see you all again soon!**

 **Close Enough**


	5. You must me new here

**:Omega**

 **:Under no protection**

 **:Year: 2183**

"How do you think we're even going to do this Garrus?"

It was late, the city streets quiet below, aside for an arguing couple, who's wife had realized her mate had been seeing some of the dancers in a small night club. The screaming, causing the turian to shake his head as he leaned against the window, eyes still locked onto Sidonis who was waiting expectantly for an answer. The cool air nipping at his fringe from behind the glass.  
He shouldn't be surprised, Sidonis was a, playing in politics, not the battle field, kind of turian. But after his last falling out and loosing a whole squad of some of the best marksmen, he had under his command, the male became desperate. For a while, it seemed like there was no way for him to clean up his mess in the eyes of the higher citizens, and claim his old rank back. Garrus's plan of dealing with Omega seemed like his best chance at getting some normalcy back in his life. Normalcy, and the idea of helping out on old friend made everything fall into place for the turian.

The floor beneath him creaked with every move, the sounds of doors opening and shutting with the soft giggles of night workers crawling through the cracks. Only to be silenced by the screech of an angry woman who began throwing things in the neighbouring room. "After all I did for you! All the hours I worked, the things I gave up! This is what you do in your spare time!?" He soon tuned out, not needing to have any images of whatever was going on in there, in his head.  
After their last batch of hunting down the vorcha, they had to go into hiding again, just Garrus, Sidonis, and Melenis. The salarian was in the other room, saying he was working on some presents to hand out to their next target, or provide distraction. He had to admit, while the bomb boy was a bit jumpy, he was always working. Always tinkering. He was someone he could trust to get a job done and be prepared when working with next to nothing.

"Garrus!"  
The turian shook his head when he realized that Sidonis was getting impatient. His friend's arms were crossed, eyes narrowed while his body was as rigid as a steal beam. He was uncomfortable here, moving from place to place and looking over his shoulder. Still, Garrus only leaned forward, his riffle lazily bumping against his armoured thigh.  
"Just like we been doing, we need a team, and the more we make these people realize we can get stuff done, the more people like Melenis will show up." It was a simple but effective plan, keep up the patterns, ruffle some feathers, and leave a trail for others who want to join to follow. But not so obvious that the merc bands and children are what pick up the scent. A fine artistic line that Garrus was starting to enjoy, he always did want to learn how to paint after all.

His thoughts rang out to that morning though. The mugging, it was just another part in getting the spirits of Omega to rise in the right places. Someone needed help and he came in, what he wasn't expecting was to be the second party. That woman's face was burned into his mind, how she fought on instinct alone. She wasn't a soldier or a mercenary, she didn't have any armour on, just a busted old pistol that probably couldn't shoot straight. Still she was there, throwing herself at a batarian to give the couple time to escape, and putting her very life on the line. He was happy he gotten to her in time, a death like that would have been a waste, an awful waste. Seeing her do that was enough to make him realize that there was still something to fight for here. There was still people out there willing to help each other out in times of need. He just needed to ease the playing field a little more for people like her, give her a fighting chance. "This is just the start of things Sidonis."

Something had to have gotten through to him, as Garrus watched Sidonis's shoulders go slack a little bit, looking at the ground for a few moments while trying to straighten his thoughts. His mandibles pulling back to get a nice breath of air before he looked back up at his old friend. "I got info on a Rhi'hesh Shurta

* * *

"Wait, you can actually use this thing?"

Her question earned her a smack on her thigh. A quick little nudge that got the woman to shut up as she watched Montague work her magic. They were leaving Kima, yet Dulan didn't have enough credits, not enough to spare on a shuttle anyway. The rickety, iron tank heaved it's sides, steam rising from it's front like a sleeping dragon, as a few souls were shuffling in and out of it's creaking doors. An absolute death trap compared to the smooth, sleek bodies of what she saw at the lab, that never made a sound. It was Omega though, she couldn't be picky.

A pattern she started to notice with the red head, was she always seemed to belong. She put on faces when seeing others. Painting herself to blend into whatever crowed they were in, whenever her attention was taken away from Dulan. When she was dealing with the conductor, she pulled up her omni tool and punched in a few numbers before being let in. Her eyes gleaming, she looked over her shoulder and back at the Tal Vashoth, a cat like grin on her lips in the enticing sight of prey as she waited for her.

She didn't have enough credits, but she still had the means to get on. Montague was challenging her, testing her, and she couldn't disappoint now could she? When in Omega, be like Omega. The conductor wasn't even a physical body, just a screen of a blue face that asked in a very life like voice. "That will be 50 credits, for boarding the district shuttle. Failure to provide payment will end in forced extraction by the mercenary band Eclipse."

So the owner was using eclipse to get people to pay? It only caused a giddiness to get to her as a toothy grin spread over her features. Just like her companion, she turned on her omni tool, forwarding a payment only to start punching in her own code. Quick, graceful fingers dancing over the orange projection before she uploaded her little work of art into the data base of the shuttle. A ding and green light greeted her with the words. "Enjoy your trip, please note that the shuttle will not be held responsible for any injuries substantiated during transportation."

She crossed over, a small gap between the shuttle's floor and the endless fall that was beneath her. Still, she didn't mind as she pulled herself in. Montague already sitting down next to a window, one of her legs crossed on her knee. "Not bad, not bad at all my friend! Guess I owe you fully baked shit! Or maybe food, I guess." The red head shrugged at her own joke, giving Dulan some more space so the woman could sit down. "Ya gotta know something, when in Omega. If you don't have to pay, then don't. That's what will set you apart from here, and the streets."

She gave a wide sweep around the shuttle, a few humans and a turian were riding with them. Each minding their own business, on their own devices, each armed, and not a soul stepping into the very loud confession of the two females that did not pay for their ticket. It was a strange feeling, doing something wrong and not getting caught. She just stole, and she was threatened with a gang that if she was caught the Eclipse would go after her. Yet even then, she felt a tinge of lightning run down her skin at the thought. She was excited, a small rush that she felt, just belonged. Even more so as she looked out the dusty window. Being able to see Omega and all it's painted glory.

She's seen cities from her terminal. Bright, pastels, of greys, whites, clean city streets with cars running through the air like a floating river. Here though, it was so dark, so different. Crafted metals from all kinds of species and generations of technology, stacked on each other, like some twisted art piece. Lights of all colors, reds, blues, violets, greens, sparking in the dark like a thousand stars. While the paths of cars was a chaotic mess, no speed limit, as the few vehicles that were on their paths, would pass by each other without a care, climbing and diving with little regard to the air space. It was ugly, it was gross and damaged and seemed to be where the galaxy's trash all ended up.

"Wow..." That's all that escaped her though. It had it's own kind of beauty, that passed her by. It's own kind of personality, this was going to be her home for a while. While it was a terrible place to call home, she felt the freedom she had crafted for herself was in those streets, and in those leaning buildings of mining shafts.

* * *

"So, noodles are the only thing that doesn't taste like shit huh?" She was sitting at a small noodle stand closer to the heart of Omega. The sounds of After Life were no longer just mindless vibrations, it was actual sound she could hear in the distance. The streets were full of all kinds of souls, a little more life as she watched a man wander back to his hotel, a woman on ether side of him, giggling with a sinister gleam in their eyes. She watched a Volus barter with a korgan over some armour, the gruff warrior snorting and growling in irritation yet the alien that didn't even stand at her waist seemed to have little to no care from the threats he was given.

And here she was, with the thief known as Montague. She wasn't expecting to have been able to go so far from the Kima district. As if they been friends for years, Montague had even paid for her meal. This time not cheating the human who waved them over excitedly and even knowing her by name. The usual she would say as he got straight to work.

"Best noodles in town if you ask me. So I assure you, it's not going to taste like half baked shit, more like boiled quarian tears." She didn't say anything from that, only look around at her surroundings some more, the smell of meats filling her nose, the blinking lights of clubs and hotels. In the distance she could see the dancing figure of an assari on a massive vid screen, fading away to show case the words "forget your troubles in the After Life."

Just a shuttle away made her think of how strange it was here. The distant sounds of gun fire were seen as little more then white noise. No one even flinching at the sound. She brought her guitar to her lap, keeping it tucked in her grasp to make sure no greedy hands would touch her companion as she leaned against the counter. Her face in her hand while she watched the overly energetic man continue to make their food wile raving about how his noodles were the best on this side of the galaxy.

"So, you never told me what brought you here. So, what was it?" The question catching her off guard, she just looked back at Montague. "I..um.." She was entertaining the idea of lying to her, making up some tale of how she wanted to explore. Yet as the words tried to reach past her throat, they felt stuck there, mulling in a awful taste as she realized that Montague had paid for her food, and probably has a lot of connections all around Omega.

"Well, to be honest, I kinda needed a place to hide. And Omega happened to be the safest place in the multi-verse that I could reach."

"So, a run away too huh? Bad marriage? Broke the law or something. Come on you can tell me." A natural air seemed to fall between them as a bowl of steaming hot food was set in front of the two females. The sight of it seeming to make things easier, as the thief and the Tal Vashoth both had their guard down for a moment.

"Science experiment actually..." She didn't waste time, grabbing the strange sticks in her hand, as she tried to shovel the food in her jaws. It wasn't attractive by any means, but the thief had been right, it didn't taste like shit. By Omega's standards, it was the best she's found so far, on this dead hunk of rock. "I was an experiment, and I didn't want to be, so I left."

"Ah, just looking for freedom. Funny how Omega of all places happens to be the safest for crap like that." The answer surprised her, taking a moment from her food. Cheeks puffed up from noodles, she gave her a good long look. She wasn't expecting the thief to be so casual with her response, maybe questions, or strange looks. How she was a actual lab rat, something. Yet instead, she went for her food. Showing off how she was more graceful and actually knew the functions of the sticks as she pressed them between her fingers. She didn't judge the Tal Vashoth though, even as she continued to shove the food in her face like a half starved Vorcha. The two began to enjoy their meal, Dulan ordering another for Vortash, so she wouldn't get her ass chewed again for being a free loader.

"By the way, I saw how ya looked at me." The comment caused her to raise a brow. Bowl being taken by the man, with him thanking her three times. "You should know, not many are gonna care that you have some fancy story. This is Omega after all, you'll get used to it." Right, she must have given her thoughts away before the food came. She didn't say anything for a while, just sighed as she looked over her shoulder at the still arguing Krogan, as he failed again and again to lower the price of his armour.

An idea sparking, Dulan leaned back onto the counter. She has a friend with connections now, she might as well use it. "Any idea where someone like me could get fancy clothes?" The questioning face was more then enough as she shrugged her shoulders, as if looking board, or having a second thought. "Been wanting to check out one of the ca-see-knows in the area...Always wanted to try out, the casino stuff there..." Well, least she knew, she wasn't some smooth talker in her past life, even she cringed at the words that all but burst through her front teeth.

The laughter that escaped the thief was loud enough to attract some looks. Dulan feeling herself sink into the fabrics of her shirt as she began to awkwardly reach for her noodles only to remember they were gone. Right, so she's not a spy, and she should never try that again. It was obvious what she was getting at, yet the red head still looked at her with a fox like grin and mischievous eyes. "CA SEE KNOW, huh? Well, I never heard of those, but I have heard of the casino, and someone with your poker face would be eaten alive in there."

"Poker face? What's that?" Again with the laughter, and again with the confusion. "Poker is a card game, you don't have the face for it." She waited for the looks to die before speaking again, leaning closer to Dulan as if offering a trade secrete. "You going to fuck with a casino?"

"More or less, yes?" Taking out the leader and messing with the actual building were in the same league right? Had to be. Seemed like that was the right way to go though, cause she watched Montague set up her omni tool, punching in a few keys before smiling at the notification she caused Dulan's to page with. The beaming of a good chunk of credits being wired to her in only a few moments, the numbers causing her brow to shoot up into her hair line as Montague just waved her off. "There, that should cover it. I just need you to do me a teeny, tiny microscopic favor for when you decide to have your night out."

"And that would be, what exactly?" That grin never left the woman's lips, and it was honestly making her uncomfortable. "Oh nothing too much, just help me get in. Been banned from just about every single one for my...business." The answer made her feel a bit weird, cautious, yet Montague never led her astray with that fox like grin as she just held out her open palms. "I may have made the odds go in my favor from time to time. Not like they needed it, you leave a side door for me, and I'll get ya a dress that no bouncer will deny you in."

"Bouncer?" Again with the laughter as her companion shook her head, red strands falling over emerald eyes. "Ya know what, I'll throw in some lessons cause you are getting in, way over your head with this, my friend."

Montague has been proving to be a life line. A true life line on par with Vortash. The two were talking for hours, the red head explaining to the Tal Vashoth just how out of her league she was. This was not just some party, there were rules and games, and for some reason it made her think of just that. The game, whatever that meant, when the words left her lips, the thief clapped her hands, telling her she should keep that idea. The game of Omega.

She learned of Poker, how it was a game she should stay very far away from cause she was too expressive. How, a bouncer was someone who would decide who could come in and out of any club or party, or anything that the owner paid them for. She was told to never get into a fight with a bouncer cause they talk to others, and she would never be able to get another chance at getting back in.

So many rules, so many ideas. It was all making her head spin as Montague lazily leaned against the counter and patiently explained everything as though she were speaking to a child. How she needs to never leave her drink alone, or who to avoid. Things that seemed to be second nature that she had no idea about, and yet the woman never pried into why she didn't know these things. Just kept saying, "ya needed to learn sometime. So it might as well be me." A thief, a fox, and yet, a genuinely good person, as she took hours of her time to make sure Dulan had everything she needed to stay alive. Like Vortash, she found someone, a friend here.

* * *

"I'll be covering your omni tool until you get inside. Fake ID code was already made while you were out. Took a while to get something that would fit that ugly mug of yours." Dulan was sitting in a chair, Vortash eating his food with about as much care as she had, as he placed the bowl at his desk. He was close to ripping her a new one until she shown him that she wasn't empty handed, and yet the guy forgot to even give her a thank you.

"Think they're going to scan me?" He nodded his head, slapping his hands together, as the sound of leathery skin made her cringe. "Always expect that, always expect everything and anything if you want to survive. So, listen here, you're going to go as a guest, good thing you got something different from the rags you have on."

"What's wrong with my clothes?"

"They don't cover your face. Moving on, once you get inside, don't expect to see Rhi'hesh, the bastard isn't known for playing games, while dealing with a job. I been following his transactions and he's making a personal pick up at this location. You're going to have to find his privet terminal, and upload this code to it so I can bypass you through the security measures. That way you won't be dancing around whatever he has watching, and you can just run for it. He's not exactly known to have heavy security, but I'll still be working on overriding whatever he has to use against him. While I'm doing all the crap, you are going to NOT MISS, and get out. Understand?"

He was going through his terminal as they spoke. Screens blinking from sight to sight as he had her memorize every hall, and door. "That's the door to his office?" He nodded his head, even though Rhi'hesh wasn't supposed to be there yet, a guard still walked and checked on that door every now and then. The red lock illuminating it's side in a frustrating display that the armoured human checked on before walking back to the party floor. "Greeeat, this is going to be just...fun."

"Quit your bitching, I been looking at this for the last week." He finished his food, leaning into his chair with a heavy sigh as he stared at the screens. Light washing over him, and highlighting deep wrinkles that tore into his hide like a withered tapestry. "Just don't get yourself killed in there. You get in, flirt, get into the terminal, load me in, kill the ass hole, and get out. You die in there, I'm not getting your body."

"I think that's the nicest thing you ever said to me." She gave a mock smile, that the batarian rolled his eyes at. All four of them, before she finally stood back up, she wouldn't be alone in this. She had Montague, and Vortash, nether knew about each other, but they were both key parts in keeping their party alive for this job. It was making her excited, like how she was when she dealt with the batarian, or when she broke through the shuttle. Only this time, there was so much more on the line, so much more she was going to look forward to.

A band of fools, ready to take out Omega's trash.

* * *

She felt nude, the cool air nipping at her exposed skin. Her legs, her back, her collar bones. Hardly anything hidden behind the black fabric that hugged every detail of her. She had to agree with Vortash, she looked awful, this was not for her. Her horns were on a proud display, and decorated in silver strands that ran through her hair in some kind of exotic pattern. On her arm, was a bracelet, her ears holding a silver cuff ear ring that allowed Vortash to talk to her. "What's taking so long? Just start moving."

"Shut up" she was nerves, standing a little ways away, a large building that sank deeper into the street was just across from her. The neon sign blaring in bright violets reading "Fortune's Den" with music playing from the open doors. Shouts and laughter heard even from where she stood as a line was slowly growing smaller and smaller.

she kept watching as a Elcor was letting in groups, smiling faces as they talked about their nights. It's grey hide was covered in a bullet proof sheet of blacks and mesh. Arms thick enough to throw her off the side of the street and to her death in the mines below. All the while, it's monotone voice echoed even from here. "Professional. Please leave all firearms on the counter with name." She watched them do exactly that, before passing through a metal detector and going on their marry way when the device would scan them in as non threatening.

She wasn't going to be able to bring her pistol. She was going in empty, even more nude then before. Her feet were crammed into a pair of high heels that caused her to tower even more, forcing her gate to be loud and proud. Though she didn't feel like it, as she took a deep breath, the nerves catching up to her shaking hands, she nodded to herself.

Rhi'hesh was in there, he was in there ready to pick up a poor soul that he took interest in for himself. She tried to imagine how scared that person must be, what kind of life is teetering on the edge. The images of blood on the hull of the trade ship fading in her mind, causing her to tighten her grip and march on, the sound of the heels clicking with every step, as she tossed her head up. The action itself brining familiarity and comfort as she spoke while crossing the street. "You can do this, Dulan."

The Elcor came into view, swinging it's head slowly in her direction, as it's sunken eyes looked her up in down with unreadable features. "Friendly, please leave all fire arms at the counter, with your name." Friendly, right Elcor's didn't have the means to express emotion due to the shape of their skull not allowing it's brain to produce the right chemical. So, they just say what's on their mind. The action causing her to give a smile that held her tongue. He was being friendly, so that was good right? She was on the right foot.

She quickly set down her pistol. The salarian fire arm was a dull thing compared to some of the weapons in the back. Rifles, shot guns, energy beams and a whole crate of heat sinks, all on a tight lock down as a Turian was keeping track of each one. His eye looking over her weapon for a second before shaking his head. "You'll get yourself killed with that old thing."

She shrugged, not trusting her voice. Yet the Turian just looked at her, brow raised as he held the ghostly figure of a clip board between his talons. Silence stretching between them as she looked back and forth. Could she go now? Was that all she had to do?

"Name?" His voice holding the slightest irritation, causing her to jump, like a caught rabbit."Oh, right, sorry. Dulan" He didn't say much else, writing down her name before nodding his head in the direction of the stairs that sunk deeper into the underground. The Elcor gesturing as well, "Slightly interested, please enjoy your night."

She tried her best to shake the feeling of being creeped out. Even more so as she took her first steps past the bouncer. The stairs becoming wider the closer she got, walls decorated in motion detected lights that sparked into a brilliant violet the moment she took to the first step. The glow lighting her features in a strange way that caused her eyes to almost vanish in the colour.

A deep breath was taken into her lungs. Vortash echoing in her ear "you'll have to find a weapon somewhere inside." Right, inside the lions den, the Fortune's den. Each step growing darker, and each step growing louder as she passed the awaiting doors into the casino.

* * *

 **Hello my friends! If you are reading this, thank you so much for coming back! Or if you're new and didn't have to wait, how ever many months it's been, then thanks for getting this far! This story has been such a project for me in terms of writing and it makes me so happy to know that there are so many people enjoying it.**

 **Now, sorry I was gone so long. Actually, while your at it, thank Cassandra7797 for the review. Cause that got me to come back, and finish this last half of the chapter, so you can enjoy. So, thank you so much! I was loosing interest in this due to the amount of stress and work I had been dealing with, and you're kind words had brought me back.**

 **Baby shark: I was actually tempted to make Dulan the inquisitor, and have made an entire chapter with her, waking up after fighting Coryphes. But I quickly scrapped it, cause it felt like it was too forced, and too much like the chosen one. I wanted a character that could have her own story and her own past to keep you guys guessing, and I'm happy you like it.**

 **KrossPhelps: If you are reading this. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT! I had no idea that Fallow and Follow were different words, I have been writing it like that since I learned how to read, and no one corrected me! Oh my stars, you have no idea how embarrassed I was about that, but I can not thank you enough for pointing that out.**

 **I really hope I get back to you guys sooner. At the moment, to keep me going and keep me from getting writers block. I actually went out, and found the comic books for Garrus's past, to get a better idea of the characters. And I went out last night and found one of the actual novels for Mass Effect. Nothing to do with Gaurrs, but it's a great way to see the world, and flesh it out some more. Fun fact, Rhi'hesh being a character and owning a casino called the Fortunes den is canon.  
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 **Mantague is canon in name alone. So if you guys think she's forced, let me know, Well actually, tell me, anything you see! please! Cause I take them to heart!**


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